Dark as Day
by Sleep Walking Chicken
Summary: For Inuyasha, everything was always black and white, with no inbetween. But, on his birthday, Inuyasha is thrown into a whole new world. Now he must discover his new powers and his new purpose in life. And learn to live as a shade of grey [completed]
1. Chapter 1

**Dark as Day  
Chapter One**

* * *

Tokyo's skyline was hazed by the rain that drizzled down. A man walked slowly through, hands shoved into his pockets. Long hair, the color of ebony, swayed lightly as he moved swiftly, narrowly dodging pedestrians moving in the opposite direction.

Pursed lips thinned into a small line as he bashed shoulders into various school girls. Instead of getting angry, the high school girls simply giggled, winked and continued walking. He seemed to have that result on schoolgirls. It bugged him, to say the least.

Inuyasha Takahashi tilted his head up as he felt a rain drop splatter against his head. He snorted.

"Of course," he muttered.

He'd forgotten his umbrella. Of course it rained the day he forgot his umbrella. He'd also chosen that day to leave his motorcycle at home. He would have been at his mother's by now if he'd taken it. But no, he'd decided to walk. And now it was beginning to rain. That was his luck.

Inuyasha Takahashi was subject to the worst luck imaginable, or so he told anyone who would listen. It had started when he was a child, he claimed.

The earliest memory he could remember was his father dragging him into a white room where he knocked over a table with various instruments used during physical exams. He'd blushed and muttered an apology while his father reassured him that all was well. Throughout the entire examination he would knock something over, or kick the doctor or start freaking out over the simplest things. It was his luck, after all.

Inuyasha hadn't forgotten that sorrowful look in his father's eyes as he turned his head away and didn't watch the doctor inject Inuyasha with a shot. His father had claimed to be squeamish when it came to needles.

Now, at the age of twenty-two the college student had no relationship with his father. He'd disappeared on his fifth birthday. He remembered his parents fighting and then nothing more. He also recalled nights when his mother would cry over God-knows-what.

Lavender eyes moved from the sky and straight ahead of him again. It was his twenty-second birthday. Nothing particularly exciting to celebrate—it was the same as any other day in his book. Tugging on the sleeves of his jacket, he took a turn at the corner and moved towards the apartment complex where his mother lived alone.

The young man, with locks of onyx and orbs of violet slipped inside the apartment just as it began to truly rain. With a sigh, he tapped the button for the elevator.

"The elevator's broken," called a voice and he turned to see an older woman march down the stairs beside the elevator. "Maintenance is going to fix it soon." She whipped black hair over her shoulder and continued moving, not glancing backwards at the college boy.

Inuyasha sighed. Bloody terrific.

He'd never been the richest person in Tokyo. It was a wonder that his mother could even afford a home there. They'd always been tight for money and Inuyasha had spent most of his high school life working to help his mother pay the rent. She lived near the outskirts of Tokyo, where the rent wasn't as high. He sent her some money for help ever month, despite his mother's dislike for it, and she ended up working two jobs a day in order to keep up to the times in the bills.

Inuyasha and his mother had grown up under bad circumstances. He'd never had as much stuff as anyone else. He'd never gotten new, designer clothes. He'd never gotten more than two gifts during his birthday or Christmas.

But those things were trivial. He'd grown to accept the fact that he couldn't go and buy his food form the cafeteria and instead would have to eat leftovers of his dinner the night before. He'd come to accept the fact he'd have to buy clothes from goodwill for the rest of his life. He'd come to accept the fact that he'd only get two presents from his mother once he finally reached her apartment.

Inuyasha himself wasn't remarkably out of the ordinary, either. He was an average boy of Japanese descent. He had long black hair and lavender eyes. He wasn't more athletic than the other boys, nor was he smarter or funnier. He was just Inuyasha. No one remembered him and he slunk through his life following after the overachievers and finishing just before the slackers.

He didn't try to draw attention to himself and he certainly didn't try to pursue others to befriend them. He was just… there.

"Mom?" he called some time later, after climbing seven flights of stairs to reach his mother's apartment. He knocked on the door before opening it—he knew it'd be unlocked. Her lock didn't work. At night she would wiggle a chair under the door handle to keep it from turning if someone did try to get in while she slept. He glanced around and did not spot the woman. "Mom?" he called again.

"In the kitchen, sweetie!" called the harmonious voice of his mother. Sighing and slipping off his shoes, Inuyasha moved to where his mother specified. He spotted her hunched over a cookbook, flour in her otherwise jet black hair and an apron around her

waist. She glanced up when he stepped through the doorway. She beamed. "Just getting your birthday dinner underway! Let's see… is there anyone besides you and me?"

Inuyasha shook his head. Besides the teenaged girls who fawned over him like the pathetic creatures they were, Inuyasha had no friends to speak of. "Just you and me tonight, Mom."

His mom was a kind woman. She always seemed to be smiling and looking out for his wellbeing. Her home was a glimmer of the hardship she had to face and proved that she was, indeed, a member of the lower class. Her beat up apartment looked scary at night, Inuyasha deduced as he watched the sun sinking lower behind Tokyo. The walls had holes in them, the paint was chipping, tiles were missing from the kitchen and her furniture was a wreck. That and she had some mice problems occasionally.

His mother nodded and thumbed through the recipes listed in the book. "Then I'll go ahead and make your favorites. Make yourself at home."

"Right," he called over his shoulder as he turned and left the kitchen. Shrugging off his black jacket, he tossed it on the floor and moved to the room that had once been his before he'd moved out. It had been transformed into a TV room, apparently.

He sat down on the ratty old couch he used to hide his futon under. The TV before him was a wreck, as well, only showing pictures in black and white, if it even got cable.

He clicked on the TV to the news report. A pristine news anchor smiled into the camera as she reported the Tokyo headlines. The screen fizzed and wavered, as it was prone to do, and her voice cut out for a moment. Finally, she began to speak.

"_With further investigation it has been discovered that the on going demon attacks can be linked to the kidnapping of Doctor Yomohama, a long time campaigner against the demon attacks and supporter of human-demon relations. Doctor Yomohama, a respected and diligent worker, specializing in chronic disease, went missing yesterday morning on the way to work. Evidence shows that the kidnapping had been executed by the long-time Ring Leader of the demon attacks."_

Inuyasha sighed as he listened half-heartedly. Everyone was being kidnapped lately with their bodies washing up on the side of the river a few weeks later. The demons and humans had been fighting amongst themselves for centuries, harboring large scales of distrust and hatred towards one another. With the rise of stabilized governments, the turmoil had died down for the most part. Only recently, about seven years ago, did the demons acquire a powerful Ring Leader and had thus started attacking Japan and the surrounding areas. Other countries were being attacked as well.

The demon attacks were proving to be a problem. The league of supernatural creatures had the upper hand in the dispute, but the humans were able to stand their own ground. The humans outnumbered demons three to one. It kept them at a stalemate. Only recently had kidnappings of respected and important humans taken place. It struck fear among mankind and caused another reason to detest the demons.

"_Police have been investigating Doctor Yomohama's disappearance. As of now, there are no clues as to where the doctor's location may be. In international news…"_

Inuyasha put the TV on mute. There was no point in listening to the demon attacks in other countries. Japan by far was suffering the colossal losses and hits from the demons. Police suspected that the Ring Leader, as he'd been named due to the fact that his true forename could not be discovered, was operating within Tokyo or the nearby area.

He watched the various different takes of footage involving 'exclusive' looks in certain demon attacks. He watched with a bit of distaste as demons pounced on unsuspecting humans only for the censors to fly across the screens. Though they never showed it, everyone knew what happened to those attacked. Body parts missing, lives destroyed, children stolen… it was all very gruesome. Inuyasha could tell the people on the screen were screaming in agony and was thankful for the mute button.

When had the world become so disastrous? Doctor Yomohama had the wrong idea involving the demons. The problem was not the relations between humans and demons. The problem was simply the demons. They should all be killed. They were all evil anyway. Their presence would not be missed.

Inuyasha clicked off the TV and sat in the darkness of his old room. He could still remember exactly where all his furniture had sat. Now he lived on his own, on the other side of the city. And he was spending his birthday with his mother instead of the friends he should have.

His birthday was looking to be another morbid case of the mediocrity that was his life.

"Inuyasha!" He lifted his head and clicked off the TV. Might as well get this depressing birthday out of the way. Nothing exciting was bound to happen, anyway. That was his luck.

* * *

"Two hours until you're officially twenty-two," his mother gushed over dinner as she glanced at her watch. "Twenty-two years ago… at eight thirty six my little boy came into this world."

Inuyasha sighed and rested his head on the palm of his hand. He had to admit that his mother was a darling little thing, the sweetest woman he'd ever met by far… but that didn't mean that he had to like the kind of attention his solicitous mother showered him with.

He cracked a smile for her behalf. "You say this every year, Mom."

Inuyasha's mother grinned sheepishly, violet eyes, similar to his own, glinting with that child-like luster she never lost.

Inuyasha bit into the food his mother had prepared, his chopsticks clanking against the bowl before slipping. He sighed. _'Twenty-two years and I still haven't gotten the hang of these stupid things.' _

It was a bit of an embarrassment, really.

He felt something stir within him and he cringed uncomfortably. He'd eaten his mother's food before—for twenty-two years, obviously—and never before had he had this kind of reaction.

He pounded a fist against his chest, as if trying to free something caught in his throat. His mother looked up.

"Is something wrong with the food, Inuyasha?" she asked, worry reflected in her indigo eyes. Inuyasha shook his head quickly, reassuring his mother that was not the problem.

"No… so… do I get a cake?" This seemed to spark his mother because she stood up quickly, collected the plates and presented him with a chocolate cake.

"I know you'd rather be out with your friends on your birthday, Inuyasha," Izayoi said suddenly, her violet eyes looking at her son with a warm smile on her lips. "But I do appreciate you coming here to celebrate with me. I always love seeing you."

Inuyasha offered her a tiny smile but didn't say anything. His mom didn't know how much of an antisocial, pessimistic loser her son was and he didn't feel like shedding light on that fact. Especially when she was so happy.

She placed the cake before him.

Twenty-two candles. _'I wish that…'_ He paused to think about a suitable wish. His mother seemed keen on him doing so. He rolled his eyes… it seemed like he was always bending over backwards for his mother. _'… Something remotely exciting would happen to me.' _

The two silently ate cake and Inuyasha opened the two presents his mother had bought for him—a new toaster for his apartment and a gift certificate to a bookstore. He smiled and thanked her.

They were in the midst of having cups of coffee when Inuyasha felt the familiar grab at his chest from earlier. He held the material of his shirt in his fist and pounded against his chest.

"Inuyasha! What's wrong?" Izayoi asked again.

"Feels like there's…" He shook his head again. He couldn't explain it. It felt like something was crawling under his skin, something was caught in his throat, and there was a deep foreboding sense within him. He frowned. "I think I'm just going to go to sleep. I don't feel well."

Izayoi nodded and stood, moving towards her son and fawning over him as mothers were often subject to do. He waved her aside, reassuring his wellbeing. He trailed off to the living room and sat down on the couch.

"It's just a quick nap," he told her gently. The woman only seemed a little relieved by that information—Inuyasha wasn't the best at soothing people, especially girls. He feigned a yawn. "I'm really tired."

Izayoi tutted and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"Sleep well," she told him soothingly and whisked away to clean the kitchen. Inuyasha nodded to his mother's back before closing his eyes. Maybe after he woke up he'd be better and the pain would be gone.

* * *

The dream he had was odd. He remembered that much. He was on top of a building singing the Korean national anthem (or at least he assumed so, someone in his dream commented about his excellent Korean—but that didn't excuse the fact he didn't know the Korean national anthem). But then he was struck by lightning.

The lightning hadn't hurt—but then again, it could have been because it was a dream—and instead gave him a warm, tingly sensation. Then he'd fallen off the roof.

Somehow, as it is with most dreams, Inuyasha found himself in a completely different place. He was pleased to see, however that he was at a poolside with Kikyou, the number one supermodel in all Japan who'd mysteriously disappeared a couple of years ago without a trace. She sipped a margarita idly and smiled at him every so often. As it is with most guys, Inuyasha was rather pleased to see her. So, of course, he'd awoken right after that.

The first thing Inuyasha realized when he awoke was that he was not in his warm, comfortable bed. His next thought strayed to the inquiry of the time. A glance at his watch revealed that he'd slept through his true 'birthday' and it was now ten. The blaring of a television in the background also reminded him that he was at his mother's—since he didn't own a TV.

He sat up slowly, lavender eyes sweeping the living room. His mom was in his old room watching TV, leaving him to his own devices. He frowned thoughtfully as he felt the familiar stirring in his chest. It felt like something was going to pop out of his chest.

He swallowed the lump growing in his throat and immediately regretted it. It felt like something was clawing at his esophagus. He choked and doubled over, his lavender eyes staring at the ground wildly as he struggled to breathe. He panted, his fists gripping the carpet.

He released the tiniest of whimpers as he curled into a fetal position, trying his hardest to will away the immense pain shooting through him. He pounded the ground, clenched his eyes shut, and bit his tongue until he tasted the coppery tang of blood on his lips.

He gasped for air, his lavender eyes whipping open to stare up at his mother's ceiling, his mouth falling open and clipping shut like a fish out of water.

He felt as if something was moving within him, rippling under his skin like a wave of cold water. He shivered and shook violently, his back arching and his fists clenching the carpet below him.

He squirmed, trying fruitlessly to find a position that didn't bring him immense pain. He hissed and moaned as the pain racked through him. He felt like he was going to explode from the pain.

He ripped his hands out of the carpet and scratched at himself, his fingers gripping at his skin. He clenched his eyes shut as a burst of pain spread into his irises. He bit his lip and felt his teeth pierce through the tender flesh. With a small cry of pain he opened his eyes, only to see darkness.

He tried to speak, to call out to anyone that would listen. He needed help and the pain ripping through him felt like it would shred him in two at any moment. The darkness was quickly accompanied by silence. He saw and heard nothing.

He cried out, but heard nothing. Through the silent darkness, Inuyasha could feel the immense pain that never ceased nor relented.

But suddenly, through that long, terrifying moment of helplessness, Inuyasha's senses screamed loudly. The world came into absolute focus like the room he was sitting in had been shrouded in light. He could hear with perfect clarity the small intakes of his mother's breath as she slept in front of the television.

The pain ebbed away and left him feeling hollow and empty. He stayed in his position on the floor, his eyes staring straight ahead as he tried to ignore the pounding headache in his skull. The world seemed in focus, now.

The first thing he noticed, really, after the odd and painful sensation took over him was that there were two large holes in his mother's carpet. He stared at it, flummoxed by the ideas of how those two parallel holes had appeared there. He blinked slowly and reached out to touch it, only to whip his hand back and stare in shock at his nails.

His long, slender fingers, usually accompanied by sloppily clipped nails, now had sharp talons protruding from the tips of his fingers. He blinked slowly, wondering if perhaps this was all a trick of the eye. But no, his nails were hardened and long. They were sharp, but not spear like, almost like a dog's nails as it clacked across a kitchen.

He puzzled over his newfound claws. Where had they come from? With a frown he began picking at them, as was his terrible habit. He had no time for nail clippers. The long claws made him look girly. He picked at them until he managed to rip off the claw from his index finger. He moved on to the next one.

Only a few moments later, however, Inuyasha watched in fascination as the claw on his index finger grew back. It looked the exact same way it had before he'd ripped it off. Bits of carpet and wood flecked off from under his talons. Well, that explained the holes in the carpet. He stared some more. He'd been doing a lot of staring lately.

He swallowed slowly, the lump in his throat refusing to disappear.

"What is this?" His own voice startled him. It seemed to have grown a small bit huskier, almost. At the end of his sentence it seemed as if a growl had trailed off of the 's.' He frowned thoughtfully. "What…?"

This was all too confusing, and his senses seemed to be in overdrive. He clenched his eyes shut and grasped his hair, trying to get his pounding headache to subside. He pressed his palms against his temples, as if his hands would soothe the piercing head problem into nonexistence. But no.

Instead, when the boy pulled away he was shocked to see, in replace of his long black hair, strands of long silver cascaded from his palm to hang over his shoulder limply. He stared, flabbergasted, at his new predicament.

Was this his mother's cruel idea of a birthday joke? Had she done something to him while he slept? That would explain why his hair was suddenly silver in replacement of his long ebony tresses. But the claws… no. Perhaps it was demon magic his mother had bought for him as a birthday trick. But that wasn't like her.

But it was also all he had for an explanation as to why his hair was silver and he had claws protruding from his fingers. He frowned and released a small sigh as he brushed his silver bangs away from his forehead, pressing his palm against his forehead. He checked for a temperature. Perhaps he was sick? Perhaps this was all a dream?

He quickly scratched that. A dream wouldn't have been so painful. For a moment he dared to believe he'd been captured by a dream demon or a shadow demon. Things like that had happened before. Their Prime Minister had experienced the wrath of an angry shadow demon when he first came to office. But Inuyasha wasn't a Prime Minister.

He stood cautiously, his legs wobbling beneath his weight. He took a hesitant step forward.

"Mom?" he called out, his eyes looking around wearily. He hobbled towards his old room and passed a mirror on his way. What he saw made him freeze in shock.

He turned towards his reflection and his eyes widened. The golden irises, instead of the deep lavender he was accustomed to, swept over his figure. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary save for the scrapes he'd acquired when his claws had swept over his skin. That and his bloody lip that he'd obtained from his new fangs piercing his lip.

When he said out of the ordinary, of course, he excluded the things he'd already seen. Like his claws and hair, for instance. His eyes were certainly a marvel, as were his new fangs. He had no clue what was going on.

Then he spotted them. It was subtle at first, almost so small he didn't notice it. But when a loud blast came from the television in the other room, he felt something twitch on top of his head. He saw a small wisp of silver flash towards his right, where his room once was.

He swallowed and slowly reached out. He patted down his unruly bangs, trying to see what it was on top of his head that was making the movement. What he saw shocked him. On top of his head were large, ruffled appendages that resembled…

"Dog ears?" Inuyasha said with a disbelieving voice. He stared at the twitching dog ears. They quivered at the slightest noise and spastically searched the room when a new sound was produced.

Curiously, he reached up his fingers and, mindful of his claws, touched the ears. They twitched and he frowned. They felt odd. He tugged on them and moved his fingers along the soft fur that coated the sensitive flesh.

"Dog ears," he confirmed to himself as he dropped his hands from his ears. Hesitantly, he brushed aside his silver forelocks and searched the area where an ear should be. He found nothing but smooth, unmarred skin.

He ran away from the mirror, finding a new burst of strength. He threw the door open and listened as a disgusting crack ran through the room and the door fell from its hinges. He stared, flabbergasted, at the wreckage he'd accidentally caused. He blinked slowly.

Izayoi roused from her sleep. Rubbing her eyes, she turned to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha… what?"

"Mom!" Inuyasha said, desperation evident in his voice. "I've been possessed by a demon!"

Whether he meant the shadow demon he'd been fathoming over earlier or the dog ears on his head, Inuyasha wasn't sure. But he did know this: Something was seriously wrong with him.

"Inuyasha, what are you yapping about now?" Izayoi muttered as she blinked and stared at her son for a long moment. She didn't say anything, just looked at him with a sedulous cautiousness that suggested she'd done something to this nature before.

"Mom, what the hell is going on?" Inuyasha asked, genuinely growing worried now. Of course this random act of bad serendipity would befall him. Being possessed by a demon, or whatever it was happening to him. "Mom?"

Izayoi looked helplessly at her son for a moment, not saying anything. She circled him slowly. Her lack of words gave enough respite for Inuyasha to collect himself and think about what was happening.

"So it's finally happened," Izayoi muttered.

"Mom?" Inuyasha said, the question evident in his voice.

Izayoi sighed. "He said it would happen when you were twenty. When it didn't happen I thought that perhaps he'd permanently sealed it."

"What? Who?" Inuyasha flopped down to the ground, his legs finally giving way and his mind bubbling with a thousand questions. "Mom, god damn it, what is going on?"

His mother's hand collided with the back of his head. He released a small yip that sounded suspiciously like a dog's yelp.

"Ow!" he gasped out as he grasped the back of his head. He felt a welt forming. "What was that for?"

"Don't you dare swear in front of me, young man," Izayoi threatened and placed her hands on her hips. She turned away from him and walked to the couch she'd been sitting on before her son had awoken her. She clicked off the television and turned to look at him with an odd look on her face. "Come here."

Inuyasha did as he was told and sat down next to her, his lips turned downwards in a frown. "What?"

"I guess I should start from the beginning."

"The beginning would be best," Inuyasha agreed sardonically. Izayoi fixed him with a dark, warning look and he clipped his mouth shut. His mother's wrath was not something he liked to toy with.

Izayoi was silent for a long moment. She pursed her lips and tipped her head upwards towards the ceiling. Inuyasha sniffed disdainfully and was hit with the scent of juniper. He wrinkled his nose. Every time he breathed in he was bombarded with different scents. The juniper scent must have been his mother's.

Finally, she spoke. "It happened when you were born, you know."

"Eh…?" His mother was talking the crazy talk. She was making zero sense and it was working on Inuyasha's nerves. He couldn't very well snap at his mother, of course, but it was a huge hassle and Inuyasha wished she would just get on with it.

"You were born looking like this," Izayoi clarified. She allowed this to sink in. She cleared her throat. "You were born with white hair and golden eyes."

Inuyasha frowned. "But then how did I manage to change my eye color and hair color?"

"I'm getting to that," Izayoi explained gently, offering her son a small smile.

Now granted, Inuyasha wasn't the patient type. He'd never been good at sitting still. He'd never been good at waiting. When he wanted something, he wanted it then. If he had to get something done, he didn't procrastinate, he went out and did it. But somehow, looking at his mother, he felt a bit calmer when it came to what was happening here.

He wanted to know what was wrong with him. He already knew that, apparently, he'd been born looking like this. Was it some kind of disorder? What was the matter? Had he always been possessed by a demon?

"Do you remember your father?" His mother asked him suddenly.

The random question regarding his paternity was a bit of a shock and he blinked in surprise, trying to comprehend what his mother had just said.

"Uh… not very well."

"Do you remember what he looked like?" Izayoi specified, her earnest violet eyes staring at him seriously. Inuyasha frowned thoughtfully.

"No, not really," Inuyasha said with a curious frown on his face. He blinked and stared at his mother. "He…" He scrunched up his face as he attempted to recollect any memory he had of his father. "He had white hair."

"Your father, Inuyasha, looked just as you do now. For the most part," Izayoi said quietly. She clenched her hands together and stared at her son for a long moment. "He was a demon."

Inuyasha reeled back in shock, his golden eyes widening in surprise. "W-what?"

He knew his father was different. But he'd always assumed him to just be very old. Hence the white hair.

But if his father was a… a demon…

"A demon," Izayoi repeated.

Inuyasha blinked, staring at his mother with the same shocked look as before.

"Your father was a powerful dog demon. In ancient times he ruled over the western lands of Japan," Izayoi said quietly. Inuyasha didn't say anything. "He lived for centuries. He was wise and very powerful. Many demons regarded him as a fool and weak-minded at times, however, due to his compassion for humans."

Izayoi paused to collect herself, her fingers dabbing at the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"He had a soft spot for humans. They fascinated him tremendously," Izayoi said gently. "He would pity them when they were killed. He would observe them from afar, most of the time."

Izayoi clasped her hands. "He was a gentle soul, easily swayed by the humans he protected under his rule. He was a wondrous leader. Unfortunately, as the feudal system fell and governments rose in Japan your father lost his claim to his land. The western lands, technically, still belong to the family. Your older brother, Sesshoumaru. However, the demon clans that once ruled over the four sections of Japan are simply nominal rulers now."

Inuyasha stared at the carpet. It wasn't so much that he was shocked to hear his father was a demon; he remembered his father having white hair—it was just the fact that all these years people had crammed it into his mind that demons were evil, no matter what. They were all evil beings that deserved to die.

But his father had been kind. His father had loved him. His father had loved his mom. How could his father be evil when Inuyasha remembered him being so good? His mother had just said that his father was a kind man. That he had great compassion for humans. How could someone who was kind and gentle to humans be considered evil?

He furrowed his brows as he thought. This was all a big shock, and it put a damper on all his earlier philosophy of all demons being evil. He was a demon now, apparently, but he was still the same guy. He was just boring, plain Inuyasha. He hadn't changed. Yet, now he wasn't fully human he was evil. All because of his father?

If his father was a demon that made him…

"You're a half-breed, Inuyasha," Izayoi stated calmly and didn't lift her eyes to stare at him.

She was ashamed.

He could tell right away that his mother was ashamed. Ashamed of what, he wasn't sure. For a moment he dreaded that she was ashamed of the fact he was a half-breed, but he told himself that his mother wouldn't do something like that. His mother loved him.

He rubbed his temples as he began to slowly form a headache that could possibly kill him if he didn't get some medication soon. He just wanted to go to sleep and forget this ever happened. Or better yet, he could wake up and realize it was all some sick dream and he was still lying on his mother's couch after eating his cake. But no, that would have been convenient. And it seemed that his bad luck streak just kept going on full throttle.

"I'm a half-breed?" Inuyasha wheezed out, feeling as if he could not breathe. "Please tell me you're kidding."

'_I'm just a normal kid. A kid cursed with incredible bad luck. But I'm not demonic. I'm not evil.'_ Inuyasha clenched his eyes shut. He prayed that his mother would say the things he wanted to hear and nothing more.

"I'm not," she whispered. "You're a half-breed."

Inuyasha felt as if his world had just smashed apart. His mother had dropped this bomb so casually, as if the fact that he'd believed himself to be a normal human his entire life only to have the fact that he had demon blood pulsing through him wasn't a big deal. Because it was. It was.

"Your father didn't want that life for you," Izayoi said gently. "To be ridiculed for your blood and to always be judged because of your demon heritage. He found a trustworthy doctor, whom did not judge those because of their blood. They'd been friends for many years and together they managed to seal your blood and make you appear to be a normal human."

Inuyasha stared at his mother, his mouth falling open. He remembered his earliest memory: His father turning away from him as a needle was implanted into his arm. He was being denied part of his self. He was denied his father.

He understood where his father was coming from, but it didn't ease the pain or shock. Both his parents had lied to him.

He shook his head and scooted away from his mother. "How could you hide this from me?"

"I was planning on telling you when you turned twenty. Your father said that the seal would wear off when you became twenty. They wanted to make it permanent, but they weren't entirely sure whether or not it would. In that time technology wasn't as advanced as it is now. But when it never happened… I believed that perhaps the seal had truly been everlastingly. That's what your father wanted. To permanently seal you and let you live your life as an average human."

"But why did you keep it from me? I've always thought that I was human," Inuyasha demanded and stood. He pointed an accusing finger at his mother. "I was always told that demons were bad. That they were all evil. Even you told me that they were evil. But what now, Mom? But what does that make me?"

Izayoi looked genuinely ashamed of herself again and Inuyasha was happy for that. But only for a moment. Then he, too, started to feel bad. He didn't want his mother to fear him. Never.

"Are you ashamed of me?" Inuyasha snapped. "Is that why you didn't say anything? Because you didn't want a half-breed child?"

"Inuyasha, please. Don't get angry with me," Izayoi said gently, her eyes threatening to fill with tears.

He growled the sinister dog-like snarl he'd discovered but relented. He sat down again, though his growling did not cease.

"Inuyasha…" For her credit, Izayoi did look embarrassed. "I didn't want you to be burdened by the fact that even though you appear normal, you're very different. No one wants to be different."

Inuyasha snorted. He was already different. The only people who liked him were high school girls, and they didn't count because he didn't like high school girls in any case.

"That's a stupid reason."

"The seal wasn't supposed to last forever though, as you can see. It just lasted longer than we predicted," Izayoi said soothingly, trying to ease her son into a peaceful stance instead of his on-guard, defensive stature. Plus, his growling was beginning to work on her nerves.

"So what does this mean?" Inuyasha demanded.

Izayoi sighed. "It means, Inuyasha, that you're a half-breed now. We cannot seal your blood again. It only happens once. If we were to do it again it could possibly kill you. Your demon blood was not meant to be dormant. It flows through your veins. Trying to suppress it again could possibly lead to an escalation of your blood pressure and heart failure. I don't want you to die."

She grew quiet for a moment. "Though, like this, you may be subject to life threatening situations."

"Huh?" Inuyasha looked fearful for a moment.

"Half-breed are what the radicals fear most. They are a mixture of human and demon—the perfect example of human-demon relations. Those who want the other species dead do not want a successful human-demon child alive for that could jeopardize exactly what they're preaching."

"But I didn't do anything wrong," Inuyasha protested.

"They wouldn't care, Inuyasha." Izayoi bit her lip. "They would kill you."

He stood abruptly and stormed away from the couch. He growled and clenched his head, where his throbbing headache refused to give him peace.

"Then what the fuck am I supposed to do?" Inuyasha snapped out. "Am I supposed to spend the rest of my life hiding in my room? You know how good a demon's nose is! They'll be able to smell the human in me in an instant. The humans may believe I'm a demon but the demons will surely kill me!"

Inuyasha began freaking out. He was going to die. Because of being _born_ he was going to die. Here he was, twenty-two years old… not even finished with school, no career, never had a girlfriend, never had a true friend, really… and he was going to die. His life had sucked. It had just sucked. That's all. He'd gone through life living in the delusional fantasy that things would get better. But no.

He was going to die.

Because of his damn mother and father's heritage.

He growled and fisted his hands. "Damn it!"

"Inuyasha, calm down," Izayoi yelped out as she dared to stand and place her hands on her son's shoulders. He stiffened and bowed his head, his growl reverberating around the room. "Everything's going to be fine. I have something that can hide you."

Inuyasha turned around and stared down at her. "Then why didn't you say so? Holy shit, Mom, telling me that I'll be _killed_ is not something that is going to keep me calm about this situation."

Izayoi sighed and pushed her black bangs away from her forehead. "I can see that now, Inuyasha, but please try and relax. You are not going to die. You're too strong-willed. Besides, I'd never let that happen."

She turned on her heel. "I think I have something that your father left you that can help your situation. Until then, stay here."

Izayoi left the room, leaving Inuyasha alone. He stood there stupidly, inhaling and smelling the scent of juniper disappearing from the room and moving down the hall where it was far more pungent.

Inuyasha stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do now. He moved slowly towards the couch, as if in a trance, before plopping down onto the soft cushions and placing his face in his hands. He sat there with his back arched and his shoulder tense. What was he going to do?

Suddenly his life didn't seem so boring. Suddenly his luck seemed to be the worst in the entire world. Even worse than it had before.

His body pulsed and he felt his blood roar within him. He felt urges roll over him and his golden eyes opened to focus on the ground before him. It wavered. His world seemed to be closing in. He lifted his head.

He looked around the room and it seemed as if it had morphed. He was no longer in his old room. He was in a small, constricting chamber. He couldn't move here. He was suffocating here.

He stood slowly and moved to the window, hoping to open it and perhaps clear his head. His headache was getting worse. He rubbed his forehead and opened the window, sticking his head out and whiffing a lung-full of city air.

He nearly gagged as the retched smells of the city bombarded his senses. He staggered back and clapped a hand over his nose.

'_You're a demon now…'_ a voice whispered within him. He nodded slowly and his lips curved into a smile, despite himself. _'You have unspeakable power now. You can do anything. Why are you here, waiting for your life to pass you by?'_

His foot moved upwards and placed itself on the windowpane.

'_You're free to do what you want.'_

Golden eyes stared out over the city, reflecting the lights of the city, the darkness barely phasing his demonic vision. The world seemed to be in perfect clarity now.

His other foot joined its twin on the windowsill.

He swallowed and his hands grasped the sides of the walls. His claws scraped against the painted walls. Chips of paint fell off and peppered the ground.

'_There's nothing for you behind. Live.'_

Inuyasha jumped off the ledge of his window and into the air.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Two**

* * *

Inuyasha was dimly aware of the fact he'd just jumped out the window of his mother's seventh story apartment. It took him a moment or two to realize that he was, indeed, falling from the sky towards the pavement below. His eyes widened and he began flapping his arms like a bird, as if such an action would assuage the growing fear within him.

No such luck, however. Even with his arms flapping he didn't feel any calmer. Which was understandable since he's very much not a bird demon. Dog demons couldn't fly.

"Shit!" he heard himself yell out. And to think that only a few hours ago he was feeling the pure ennui of life. Now he missed every single blissful moment of boredom he'd ever experienced.

Why the hell had he jumped out his mother's window? Did he inherit psychotic tendencies from his father along with dog demon blood?

He supposed this was his punishment for being so ungrateful of his simple life. He wasn't normal anymore. He was dead. He was a dead man.

As the threatening pavement loomed ever closer Inuyasha pushed his hands in front of him and clenched his eyes closed. He was going to die. Would it hurt? His life was flashing before his eyes but it was far too boring to watch.

He was suddenly surrounded by metal and a large crunching sound reverberated in the empty street of his mother's neighborhood. Inuyasha was fazed for only a moment until a car alarm screamed next to one of his twitching dog ears.

He sat up and clapped his hands over his ears, releasing a small scream of discomfort. But he wasn't dead.

He dared to open one of his golden eyes to see that he was sitting in the bed of a completely totaled vehicle. He stared at the metal surrounding him. The car alarm blared loudly and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. He sat where the back seat of the sedan would have been, the roof of the car nearly encasing him in its iron trap.

He slowly stood, his legs wobbly and his back feeling like it'd broken in several places. Only, he didn't know what that felt like and he was standing, so he scratched the belief that he was forever disabled or dead.

He stared around him, watching as people poked their heads out of their houses, staring down at the commotion. One older lady, who lived on the sixth floor directly below his mother screamed loudly.

"It's a demon! It's another demon attack!"

It seemed that with that simple remark the whole neighborhood was thrown into an uproar. Mothers and children, who'd curiously poked their head out to see what had disturbed their sleep, screamed and ran from the windows. Men pumped their fists, glaring at Inuyasha menacingly and brandishing makeshift weapons they'd acquired from their homes.

Inuyasha blinked in surprise at the sudden evolution of his predicament simply due to one old lady's screams. The men started screaming their repugnant insults towards him, like he was incapable of feelings or higher thought. They shrieked at him, shaking their fists and their table lamps as if he were a household pest.

Inuyasha was slightly comforted by the fact that none of them really presented a threat to him, up in their homes behind their locked doors when suddenly a shot rang out throughout the street and a bullet shattered the glass of the window his feet were inches away from.

He yelped and jumped out of the car, his feet touching the pavement and causing a crack to shoot out from under his feet and damage the road below him. His head whipped around to the area where the bullet had come from and he spotted a man, pistol extended and dark eyes glaring down at him like he'd done personal harm to him.

Inuyasha's eyes widened when he recognized the man. He never knew his name, but had seem him during the hot summers of his youth, when he would play in the streets with his childhood friends. He'd come out with lemonade occasionally and the children would laugh and giggle about an old man making food instead of the wife. He'd always smiled his crinkled old smile and waved them aside like they were his own children.

Seeing the man with his pistol extended, his finger on the trigger and the bullets aiming at him was a shock back to reality. He was an evil creature.

But he'd done nothing wrong. Why were they trying to kill him? Okay, granted, he'd just destroyed someone's car, but he hadn't hurt anyone. Another bullet whizzed past him.

Inuyasha stumbled. He turned his back and ran from his neighborhood. He couldn't bear to stare at the ones who despised him now. If they recognized him as Inuyasha Takahashi, Izayoi's only son, would they cease their needless destruction of him?

_'They'd probably go after mom, too,'_ Inuyasha realized with a chill running down his spine. He turned away from the original destination of his running, his home. He couldn't go home. They could hurt his mother.

He turned and fled into the city of Tokyo, the city that hated him now.

The city that had demons running wild.

* * *

He uneasily ran around the city, dodging street lights and stray cars. Everything was moving as if in a blur and he felt a strange, exhilarating high as he raced down the street. He discovered that with his newly acquired muscles, he was able to run rather quickly and come to a sudden halt easily. He inhaled the air around him, starting to grow used to the burst of different, odorous scents.

For a city that supposedly had tons of demon attacks every night, the world outside his neighborhood seemed rather tame. He hadn't seen a single demon, save for himself, since he set out into the large urban area.

He ran briskly down the sidewalk, nearly smashing into telephone poles and pay phones but he managed to avoid disaster by evading any obstruction that came into his view. He found it quite easy to nimbly dodge oncoming objects, and his coordination was far superior to what it had been not even a day before.

_'It's hard to believe that I ever survived as a human,'_ Inuyasha thought with a large grin as he sped down an off-ramp and into the traffic of the highway. He raced down the center lane, whizzing into new lanes when a car came towards him. He knew he was being reckless, but if he could fall from a window and slam into a car, no doubt he could survive racing down the freeway into oncoming traffic.

He embraced this newfound freedom. _'This is amazing!'_

He felt the blood of his father coursing through his veins and his muscles tense and relax as he traveled down the road. He already knew he could move faster than a normal human, dodge on a whim and skid to a halt quickly and painlessly. But… what else could he do?

Eventually, he turned around and moved in the opposite direction, not wanting to leave the city. There was nothing for him outside Tokyo. In the solemn part of his mind however, a small voice whispered that there was nothing inside Tokyo for him, either. Now that he was a demon, he was on the bottom of the list. Now that he was a demon, he would be killed. He'd seen the way his neighbors had transformed into ruthless monsters.

_'Are we all like this?'_ he found himself thinking as he returned to Tokyo and darted down an alley way to catch his breath. Even demons ran out of air eventually. _'They don't even know me. Yet, they were willing to kill me.'_

He bit his lip. For his entire life everything had been black and white. There had never been any shades of grey. Everything was either good or bad. There was no middle ground. But now he was living proof of that shade of grey. He was human and he was demon.

He fisted his hands and pounded them against the ground angrily. When he pulled his fists away he saw a large hole in the thick cement. He frowned.

What was he going to do now? He was now the very thing everyone had told him was evil. But he was the same as he was before, only new and improved. He smirked sardonically at that thought and quickly shook his head. He had to focus on his predicament.

Where all demons like him? Unsure what to do with the human problem? But what of the ones killing humans? Surely they were evil? He drew his knees to his chest and released a small sigh that came out in a raspy growl similar to a dog's.

He titled his head back, staring at the night sky with a forlorn expression. What was he going to do? If a human found him he was as good as dead and he knew nothing of his powers, if he had any. He knew that demons had supernatural powers; that was how they managed to kill humans so rapidly.

He sighed-growled again. How was he supposed to learn his powers, if he even had any? He didn't have a teacher and it wasn't as if he could snap his fingers and expect fire to shoot out from the friction.

Curiously he snapped his fingers. Nothing. He was slightly disappointed that he wasn't able to control fire with a simple snap of his fingers. Once again his fabulous luck was playing a stupendous role in his life.

"Might as well head home before I get killed," Inuyasha muttered to himself and rose to his feet. Dusting himself off of any dirt he'd collected when sitting on the ground of a dingy old alleyway, Inuyasha began walking to the opening.

Cars whizzed by and once they were out of sight, Inuyasha was racing down the speedway again into oncoming traffic. He did his customary dodging and skidding to avoid collisions and was thrilled when horns screamed at him whenever he cut it close.

It seemed that Inuyasha was keen on near death experiences because at that moment, racing down the street, cars appeared, almost side by side and blared their horns. His ears flattened and he frowned angrily.

He didn't have time to dodge or skid, he realized and he blanched. Before he could have another flashback of his overly boring life, Inuyasha did the only thing that he could think of: He threw his arms in front of his face and jumped.

It took him a few moments before he realized he wasn't in a massive car crash and that he wasn't dead. He seemed to be avoiding death a lot lately. Nervously, he dropped his arms and felt the wind pelt his face. He blinked bright golden eyes and realized he was in the air. He really had jumped.

He felt like he was flying for one beautiful moment before he began his descent and landed awkwardly on his feet. Within a moment he was rolling on the ground, scraping his skin and clothes against the pavement before rolling to a stop in the gutter on the side of the road. He groaned and tried lifting his head.

Slowly, he sat up and rubbed his head. Pulling his hand away he saw his fingers stained red from a small cut on his forehead. Quickly examining his body he determined that he'd gotten a lot of scrapes and bruises, but no serious damage. At least, not for a demon.

_'Demons have healing powers,'_ he reminded himself and stood up on wobbly legs. He stood awkwardly for a moment, trying to regain his balance before inhaling deeply.

He'd jumped. He knew that. But he'd been so high up in the air, almost to the rooftops above him. He tilted his head back, staring up at the roofs of the buildings as if he was trying to register just how high he'd jumped. He jumped experimentally. He didn't go very high, though higher than he used to.

He furrowed his brow as his curiosity to this new ability began to sway him into more experimentation of his powers. He crouched down to the point he was nearly sitting down and pushed with all his might. He was extremely happy to see that he went much higher than last time.

Grinning when he landed, Inuyasha took off at a run, his legs whipping below him. With a might leap he bounded off the sidewalk and into the air. Doing a large, graceful arc, Inuyasha landed a block away. The smile on his face could not falter. With another tremendous leap, Inuyasha landed on the rooftops high above him.

He raced across the rooftops, delighting in the thrill of bounding over the gaps in buildings. He released a happy yip that he once again linked back to that of a dog's. He felt so free. How had he been able to live without this thrill? Without this blood surging within him? If this was what it was like to be different, then he rather enjoyed it.

As he ran wild in downtown Tokyo, his claws scraped against buildings, leaving gash marks. His feet left imprints in the stone of the building tops. He was wild. And he loved it. He felt wilder than he'd ever felt before, but that was to be expected. He was a demon now.

As the hours ticked by, Inuyasha became aware of the sirens behind him. The police had finally caught onto his presence. Normally, he would have been fearful of being arrested but now he was too high off his freedom to care. He did a small flip in the air and landed on a side street. His hand pressed against the ground and he felt the vibrations of the police cars following him.

He grinned, his fangs glinting in the subtle light of the street lamps and stood up. He recognized where he was. He was in his own neighborhood. His apartment was close by. Turning on his heel he whipped towards his home. Easily outrunning the cars' sirens, Inuyasha arrived at his apartment easily. Withdrawing the keys to his motorcycle and running towards his bike, Inuyasha jammed his helmet over his head and sat down idly.

He watched the cars whiz by, in pursuit of the 'demon attacks' scared civilians had reported about. Beneath his dark visor, Inuyasha smirked. He'd eluded an arrest. He felt incredibly rebellious for the first time in his life. He'd grown up living in the shadow of his father, trying to make his mother proud of him.

He'd attended an all boy's school during high school on a scholarship. One wrong move and he would have been out of there. He couldn't afford to let his mother down. He'd studied hard. He hadn't allowed anything to sway him from his studies. But now, he was his own man—no, a demon.

Of course, a small amount of doubt lingered in the back of his mind. He had gone from the perfect son to wild demon in just one night—his birthday. But this was an awakening for him. He enjoyed this wild side of himself… but how long could he keep this up?

After he was positive that the police wasn't returning he revved his engine and rode his motorcycle away from his neighborhood before they discovered that he was the demon they were after.

Armed with a new confidence in his health, Inuyasha sped down the roads, screeching his tires and weaving around slower cars. He loved his motorcycle; it was the only thing that would make him feel free and defiant. Now it was simply an accessory it seemed.

In any case, he was in for a wild night.

* * *

He groaned the next morning as his alarm blared, the red numbers flashing the time. He rolled over in his bed, knocking his pillow to the ground and kicking his blanket away from him. Wary, he raised his head and stared at the alarm before hitting the snooze button.

He'd stayed out the entire night, eluding near death experiences and pulling wool over the cop's eyes. After obtaining his motorcycle, Inuyasha had discovered his incredible strength when he'd whizzed into the ditch. He'd been convinced it was a fruitless effort to pull his bike back onto the road but gave it a try anyway. He was shocked, and pleased, to see that pulling his motorcycle out of the ditch was as easy as pulling weeds in a garden. He'd also discovered, thanks to his honed muscular power, that popping wheelies and jumping mediums was as simple as pie.

Inuyasha sighed happily in the memory before his golden eyes whipped open and he ran from his bed and into his bathroom. He stared at himself. His silver hair was sticking up in abnormal places and his velvet ears twitched about. Golden eyes stared at him.

"It wasn't a dream…" Inuyasha marveled, his eyes wide in shock. He reached out and touched the ears on his head. It had been real.

He frowned. He had a class in two days… how could he mange that? He couldn't very well skip class now could he? He was already close to flunking out of his university and it had taken him too much effort to get in there on his scholarship. He swallowed and gripped his sink.

"I can't go to class as a demon!" Inuyasha exclaimed angrily and was tempted to punch the mirror for no particular reason sans the fact he was upset. He restrained himself and sighed angrily. "I guess there goes my education."

He was briefly aware of the fact he was upset over not being able to go to school, but it was important to him. How else was he going to get a good job without an education? Scratch that, how was he supposed to do _anything_ as a demon?

The phone ringing interrupted Inuyasha from his morbid thoughts and he slouched out of the bathroom. Picking up his cordless he stared at it for a moment. How was he supposed to hold it if the side of his head no longer had an ear? Then he heard a feminine voice asking if anyone was there. Frowning, he answered, "What?"

"I hope you're happy," his mother's voice scolded.

Inuyasha frowned. He knew this was coming. His mother was about to lecture him. "Sorry, Mom."

"Do you have any idea how much damage you caused last night?" Izayoi's voice was a pitch higher than normal, signaling that she was rather upset with her son. He could just picture her at her home, hand on hip, foot tapping the linoleum floor of the kitchen as she scolded him, her brow knitted.

"Sorry, Mom," Inuyasha sighed.

"You are not. Turn on the TV," she instructed.

Inuyasha frowned. "I don't have a television, remember?"

Izayoi groaned angrily and he pictured his mother glaring at the phone. Then she exhaled loudly, blowing a stream of breath into the phone. Inuyasha's dog ear twitched.

"Rampaging around the city would be something I'd expect from a senseless demon, not my son," Izayoi scolded with a bit of relief swimming in her voice. "You've cost the city thousands of dollars and caused several accidents with your motorcycle. People _saw_ you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha rubbed his forehead, feeling a pounding headache coming on. He pushed silver bangs away from his eyes and released another small sigh that sounded like a growl. His tongue felt too heavy to talk with and he felt a small sheet of sweat beginning to form on his brow. Did they know who he was?

Irrationally he imagined someone from one of his classes recognizing him despite the new features he'd acquired and running to tell the government about the demon who'd been masquerading as a human for all these years. He fidgeted with the phone and shifted from foot to foot.

"Be thankful that no one recognized you," Izayoi snapped out, unknowingly soothing Inuyasha's illogical fear. "But that's not to say it won't happen next time. Never do that again, you hear me? Do you have any idea how scared I was to come back and see you gone only to look out my window to see someone was shooting at you? Do you want me to die early, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha shook his head quickly than realized that his mother couldn't see this gesture. "No," he choked out. "I wasn't thinking."

"Obviously not," Izayoi said with another exhale of breath into the phone. "You have to be more careful, Inuyasha. Who knows what could have happened? If the police hadn't have gotten you than the demon hunters will."

Inuyasha shivered before he could stop himself. He hadn't thought of the demon hunters; they were notorious for killing demons in the dead of night. He swallowed a lump that had lodged itself in his throat.

"It doesn't matter now," Inuyasha sighed. "I'll never be able to go outside again looking like this." He stared down at his claws and flexed his fingers. The sharp talons on his fingers looked threatening in the soft light of the morning. He sighed. "I guess I can become a hermit in the mountains or something."

He heard his mother snort in a way that was similar to his own. He frowned.

"Inuyasha, don't be ridiculous. You just stay on the low down for a while before I figure something out, got it?" Izayoi sounded earnest, as if afraid her son would be stupid enough to go on another escapade after instilling fear into the boy's mind.

Inuyasha's frown deepened. "Fine."

"I'll talk to you later than, sweetie, be careful. Don't answer the door unless it's me, got it?" Izayoi demanded. As if he would be so stupid as to open the door to anyone else? He rolled his eyes heavenward and hung up the phone after exchanging good-byes with his mother.

Then he flopped down onto the couch and stared at his ceiling. The memories of last night rushed back to him and he smirked at the memories. It had been wondrous discovering his powers. But who was to say that that wasn't simply the beginning? What if he'd only just scraped the surface of his demonic abilities?

As soon as his smirk appeared it was replaced with a frown. It wasn't as if he could do anything. He had to stay in his apartment until he heard from his mother again. He felt like a mama's boy now.

He kicked his feet up and rested them on the other side of the couch, lying across the loveseat with a pout similar to a puppy's. He crossed his arms and closed one golden eye to protect the honey orb from the filtering sunlight that shown through his half-closed blinds.

Now that he was able to comprehend what it was that he'd done the fact that he was no longer completely human hit him like a ton of bricks. His golden eyes narrowed and he worried his bottom lip with a pointed canine.

"So, I'm a demon now," he told himself with a curt nod. "Mom's been hiding this secret from me since that day dad shot me with some kind of binding or whatever the hell it is he did to me." He puffed out his chest and jumped slightly when his fang pierced the soft flesh of his lips.

"I just spent the night acting like a delinquent after a twenty-two year streak of ass kissing." He found that speaking out loud was helping the weight of this hit him harder. He had to figure this stuff out. It was confusing and he was feeling emptier by the moment. "But what does this mean?"

The truth of the matter was that he'd had the human-good-demon-bad crap shoveled down his throat every year of his life and he'd grown up believing that all demons were blood-drinking human-killers. He wiped his hand down his face, golden eyes still staring at the ceiling.

"But now I'm a demon," Inuyasha whispered with a tired expression on his face. He sighed and tugged on a lock of his silver hair. "But I'm not evil."

True, what he'd done last night certainly wasn't _angelic_ but he wouldn't go as far as to say that it was evil. He was just having some fun—destructive fun, yes, but fun nonetheless.

He scratched his head, his claw nicking over a velveteen ear which twitched away from his fingertip. His honey colored orbs continued to stare upwards towards the ceiling.

"What the hell is happening?" Inuyasha questioned the ceiling, as if the building held the answers to all his mysteries. It didn't answer, but Inuyasha didn't expect it to.

"This," he told the ceiling as he shifted his gaze to the claws at his fingertips. He was a demon now. "Is the perfect example of irony."

* * *

He'd spent twenty-four agonizing hours cooped up in his apartment. Inuyasha found himself growing increasingly restless. His claws yearned to dig into something, his legs longed for the furious pumping of muscles as he raced thought the city. He sat at his window at night, being mindful to keep his face shielded from the outside world and longed to travel along the rooftops, unlocking untold secrets of his powers.

But he was stuck in his home, awaiting his mother. His restlessness had continued to grow as the time for him to be expected to leave for class ticked near. He had one day before he dropped a letter grade in his history class. He wasn't a good student by nature; he had to work extremely hard to do well in school but he'd always had trouble with history, no matter how hard he tried.

As he lounged about his room on a lazy Tuesday morning—he only had his classes on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays—scooping up cereal into his mouth he heard his telephone ring. Frowning, he stood up and moved towards the phone on the wall opposite him. Lifting the phone from its cradle he tucked it between his shoulder and cheek.

"Hello?" he greeted gruffly, his voice dimmed by his sleepiness.

"Inuyasha, sweetie, I'm almost at your apartment," his mother's voice greeted. Inuyasha nearly dropped his phone. "When I get there be sure to buzz me up, okay?"

"Uh, right, okay," Inuyasha said slowly but was only met with dial tone. His mother was eccentric at times. He sighed and hung up his phone, waiting around to buzz his mother up. When he heard the buzz from his intercom he clicked the button without bothering to check that it was really his mother and waited for his mother to journey up the building to his level.

A few moments later he was met with a tender tap at the door and he opened it after a quick glance through his peep hole. Instead of a warm greeting, Izayoi slapped the back of his head before slipping off her shoes.

"Ow, what was that for?" Inuyasha demanded angrily as he slammed the door shut.

"Don't even bother to check to make sure it's me!" Izayoi snapped.

"You called me and told me you were coming," Inuyasha countered, his dark brows knitting together.

Izayoi sighed and moved towards the living room, beckoning her son with a wave of her hand. "Come on, Inuyasha, I need to speak with you."

Inuyasha followed after her, his feet moving faster and softer over the carpeted floor than his mother's had. Over the last day of supreme boredom, Inuyasha had mastered the talent of light feet. He plopped down next to his mother on the couch as she dug around her bag.

A moment later she extracted a small pouch and dropped it into his lap. "There you go, now you can go outside."

"Oh, joy," Inuyasha said sarcastically as he picked up the pouch that looked only suitable for holding stray coins. He waved it from side to side in front of his face. "All my problems are solved for I now have a _coin pouch._"

Izayoi fixed him with a glare that could have frozen fire and Inuyasha clamped his mouth shut. "It's inside the pouch," Izayoi said tensely. "Now, quickly."

He opened the pouch and tipped it over into his hand. A small ring rolled out and sat in the center of his palm innocently. It was a simple ring. The silver loop glistened in the sunlight streaming through his window, still only half-closed by the blinds.

"A ring…" he said slowly, trying to comprehend the significance of having a ring.

Izayoi sighed and smoothed out a nonexistent wrinkle in her skirt. "Inuyasha, as you know, you are not the only demon in this world."

"Yeah," Inuyasha said slowly as he inhaled his mother's juniper scent. He'd grown used to the onslaught of smells he'd encountered and had even been able to decipher the difference between a human's scent and a demon's scent. At least, as much as he could seeing as how he only had his mother's scent and his own scent to go by.

"They live among us, unknown to the ignorant humans who only know about the demons from what the news and newspapers tell them," his mother said gently. "That ring will help you blend in among the humans. Do not lose it. It took me forever to find it. Your father had it made just in case you awoke. Within it are an ofuda and a spell."

Inuyasha stared at the ring before slipping it onto his right middle finger. It was hard to squeeze the ring past, seeing as how it was a little small, and he had issues at the knuckle but managed to squeeze it past. Once it was on his finger the simple silver ring did something remarkable.

It began to glow. Across the smooth silvery surface of the ring, it seemed as if words were being etched into the surface. He couldn't understand the language.

"It's Latin," his mother supplied. Inuyasha's brow furrowed.

"Why would I need to know Latin?" Inuyasha growled out.

"It's an ancient spell, Inuyasha," Izayoi scolded and they both watched as the glow dimmed and it was a simple ring again. "It's binding to your unique aura signature. Now it will seal you."

"Seal me…?" Inuyasha questioned.

Izayoi gestured to a mirror near where a television should have been and Inuyasha stood up. Journeying to the other side of the room he examined himself in the mirror and gaped.

His old self stared back at him. Black hair cascaded down his back, lavender eyes stared at him in confusion and he lacked fangs and claws.

"What is this?" Inuyasha whispered as he touched a strand of ebony hair.

Izayoi stood beside him, his body towered over hers. "It's a sealing spell. It's kitsune magic."

"Kitsune magic?" Inuyasha repeated.

Izayoi nodded. "It puts on an illusion that makes others see you as a human. You are still a half-demon, Inuyasha, but you appear human."

Inuyasha nodded. "So as long as I wear the ring I appear as a human, right?"

Izayoi nodded, her lips curving into a smile. "That's correct, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha felt a wave of relief wash over him. He didn't have to give up his newfound strength but he didn't have to stay cooped up in his house any longer. He could go outside once again. He rotated around the mirror, examining himself. Everything appeared to be in order. He smiled lightly and nodded his head in approval.

"Just be careful, Inuyasha not to lose it. And be sure that you're always wearing it. Demons will still be able to smell your half-demon blood, but they won't make a drastic move," Izayoi consoled. "If they do try to do something, they'll make it appear to be just a normal squabble. Humans can't tell the difference and they're your real problem."

"Right, thanks Mom," Inuyasha said as he turned from the mirror, complete in his examination of his form.

"Don't take it off," Izayoi warned as she moved towards the door. "And don't pull a stunt like the other night again, Inuyasha. You may be protected now, but this is still a very dangerous world."

Inuyasha and Izayoi said their good-byes once again and the older woman left. Inuyasha locked his door and slumped against it.

Slowly his lips curved into a smile and he slipped off his ring before pocketing it.

"Yeah right, Mom."

* * *

His history class was going to be as boring as ever, Inuyasha silently predicted as he scurried into his class ten minutes early. He moved towards his regular seat and plopped down next to it. He was thankful that it was near a window. Usually he enjoyed staring out it during lectures—which might be the reason for his bad grade in this class—but now it would help quell the restlessness of his demon blood.

His desk partner, Kagome Higurashi, was already sitting there. They'd only exchanged about five words with one another throughout the entire semester, both opting to remain silent during their class. From what he could tell, she was a rather intelligent girl and actually understood what the professor was talking about the majority of the time. For that, Inuyasha envied Kagome.

But today, Inuyasha felt strangely confident. Perhaps it was the demon blood marching through his veins or maybe that muffin he'd eaten for breakfast, but Inuyasha decided he wanted to talk with Kagome today.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She had long, black hair, traditional of a Japanese girl. She was lithe and had a fair complexion. The thing most extraordinary about her, however, was her crystalline blue eyes. The girl was obviously Japanese, but he was the only one he'd ever seen that actually had orbs the color of the ocean during a storm. She was rather pretty, maybe not beautiful, but certainly very pretty.

"Good morning," Inuyasha greeted, smiling at her. His hand self consciously went to his hand where his ring was. He knew, of course, that he wouldn't have managed to get to Tokyo University without incident had he not been wearing the ring, but it was becoming a habit.

It took Kagome a moment to realize that she was being spoken to and she turned her head towards him. Those fathomless, gorgeous blue eyes stared at him for a moment, blinking, before her pink lips curved upwards into a delighted smile.

"Good afternoon," she corrected, her blue eyes sparkling from the light peering in from the window. "It's one."

Inuyasha grinned sheepishly. "Oh, yeah."

After that they didn't say anything more. They really didn't speak to one another ever. Though she was the only person in the class other than the professor that he knew the name of. Perhaps it was because she sat next to him or it could be because she had gorgeous eyes that he remembered her name.

Besides, in the long run, it didn't matter. Kagome Higurashi had a boyfriend. Kagome Higurashi was a girl he knew nothing about. Kagome Higurashi probably hated demons just like everyone else.

He inhaled, wanting to commit her scent to memory. He imagined that she'd have a beautiful, wonderful scent, one that he would be able to recognize from a mile away. She had a look to her that suggested that she'd smell nice.

He wasn't disappointed. Kagome's scent was sweet, almost summery, but he couldn't place exactly what it was she smelled like. It smelled like nothing he'd ever smelled before and he couldn't place it like he'd been able to with his mother's scent.

He couldn't think more on it, however, because his professor walked in signaling the beginning of class.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Three**

* * *

He landed on a rooftop later that week and inhaled deeply. He'd grown used to the putrid scents of the city and it no longer caused him to cringe as much. It was Saturday night and he'd finished his classes and was ready to take his break, until classes started again next week. Silver hair fell over his golden eyes and he quickly brushed it aside. Over the past few days he'd taken to spending his nights outside.

With his new demonic powers Inuyasha had soon discovered that his enhanced hearing made it increasingly hard to sleep. He could hear the traffic with ear splitting detail, and he could even detect his neighbor's gentle breathing if he concentrated hard enough. Luckily, he'd discovered that his demon body needed little to no sleep to function properly and had either spent his nights doing his blasted homework, should he have any, or roaming the city.

His ability of functioning without sleep had led him to longer shifts at his work, which would work well for him, even if he hated being cooped up inside. He had to work hard so that he could help his mother. Even though she hated her reliance on two jobs and some of Inuyasha's pay check, he made her accept it simply because he didn't want his mother to have to move out of the apartment or worse. His mother had trouble with money, she and Inuyasha both knew that, and her son was trying his hardest to help her.

"And Mom told me to worry about demon hunters," Inuyasha snorted and grinned as he galloped across the roof and with a mighty leap landed on another one a few buildings away. He continued running and jumping. He enjoyed the feeling of the wind whipping his hair back. "I haven't seen one since I started this."

And it was true. Inuyasha had spent the last few days 'rampaging' through town—as his mother called it—and he had yet to see even a glimpse of the fabled demon exterminators. He was beginning to suspect it was just an urban legend used to help calm the human's uneasiness over the supernatural beings that romped through their city at night.

As he ran, his foot caught on the ledge of a building and he went tumbling over the edge. It was a regular occurrence, and Inuyasha's actions proved it. He remained calm and simply flipped in the air to land gracefully on his feet. He stood up from his cat-like crouch and rolled his ankle, checking to make sure the building hadn't done anything to his foot.

He coughed lightly and dusted the dirt off of himself. He looked around, trying to determine where in the city he was.

He didn't recognize the area he was in, but figured he was near home. He rolled his shoulders and sighed as he looked around. It was rundown and all the lights were off on this particular block of the city.

He'd fallen in front of a bank. It wasn't a well-known bank, seeing as how it was on a side street near the edge of Tokyo, but it was a bank nonetheless. Inuyasha stared at it for a moment and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He frowned thoughtfully.

_'Banks hold money,'_ he told himself silently then rolled his eyes. _'Well, no shit. But…' _

The cogs in his head began turning and he took a hesitant step towards the bank then paused, his lips quirked downwards in a deep frown. His golden eyes narrowed in thought, the orbs flashing in confusion.

_'If I take a little no one will miss it. It will help Mom in the long run. She needs the money.'_ He took another step towards the bank. The hands in his pockets fisted. _'But that's still stealing. That's wrong.'_

He rubbed his forehead. "What the hell am I thinking? Where are these thoughts coming from?"

How had he suddenly gone from ass-kisser to social delinquent so quickly? He felt the undeniable urge to go and take money.

"God," he cursed and frowned to himself. Clawed hands racked through the half-breed's hair as he tried to focus his thoughts and figure out what it was that he was really thinking.

He glanced up and down the street before jumping onto the roof. He stood on it, staring down at the roof beneath his feet. He looked around again then extracted a hand from his pocket. Fisted, he pounded his fist against the roof and it crumbled. He stood up again, nervous.

_'But, is it truly bad if I'm doing it to help my mom? I don't want anything to happen to her…'_ Inuyasha bit his bottom lip before jumping down into the bank. He landed in a crouch and glanced around, expecting to see guards or a security system. He saw no such thing. He stood up and spotted the cheap security system near the door. _'It will be a snap to take some cash.'_

He pressed his hand against his brow. What was he doing? Wasn't he proving that demons were all bad by doing this? He wasn't evil, though, at least that's what he was telling himself.

His inner turmoil was giving him a headache. Was it bad to take money if it was to help someone in need? Technically, in the eyes of the law it was. And in the eyes of a human, the half-demon stealing money was pure evil.

_'Robbing a bank, no matter how little, seems pretty evil to me,'_ the sensible side of him whispered in his mind. _'But,'_ he countered himself, _'This is to help someone else. Not myself.'_

His mind refused to give him peace. So what if he wanted to steal money? It wasn't for him. And it wasn't as if his mother was going to put it to ill use. No, his mother would use it to help her keep her apartment for another month. It wasn't as if he was going to take a lot, after all. Only enough to save his mother sore feet and weak arms from busing tables all day.

He licked his dry lips. What should he do?

"Good is good," Inuyasha murmured. "Bad is bad. There are no shades of grey."

He glanced over his shoulder, as if expecting something that would be the deciding factor in his indecisiveness. He saw nothing but darkness and the abandoned streets. As if to demonstrate the loneliness of the road, a stray newspaper fluttered by, blowing around at the mercy of the gentle nightly breeze.

He took a step forward and waited. Perhaps this was a trap? What if there was high tech security around? He looked around and spotted nothing. Not even a camera. What kind of two-bit bank was this?

It was no skin off his nose, though. He walked forward valiantly into the depths of the bank.

Fifteen minutes he left with his pockets stuffed with cash. He hadn't taken much, but it would help his mother for a few months, hopefully. He gulped the lump in his throat. He felt obligated to help his mother, but at the same time he told himself he was stealing money from someone else.

_'If it happens, it happens,'_ Inuyasha told himself and patted his full pockets. _'Everything will be fine. I'll just tell Mom that I worked an extra shift and got a bonus… or something.'_

The burden of what he'd just done weighed heavily on his mind and he pulled on his silver hair. He had to get out of here. He began retreating but was stopped when something whizzed past his face.

He screeched to a stop and stared at the thing that had embedded itself into solid stone. An arrow. His breath caught in his throat and he turned to where the arrow had come from. The thing had nearly gotten him right in the head.

Golden eyes locked on a figure on a building adjacent to the one he was on. He could tell at once that it was a female, her black top clutched to her skin. She was poised with her bow in front of her. It wasn't an ordinary bow, however; from what he could see it was made of metal and had a scope on it, like a sniper's. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail high on her head and her face was covered by a mask.

"What the hell was that?" Inuyasha demanded before he could stop himself. But he knew who it was. He'd finally come face to face with a demon hunter.

Instead of answering him she jumped the gap between the two buildings and stood on the same building as he. He stared at her. Was she a demon, too? If so, what was she doing firing arrows at him?

His mother's words returned to him. Being a half-demon, humans and demons would both despise him. Well, that explained the arrow.

The wind blew her hair back, brushing black bangs away from her eyes. Her eyes were hidden beneath lenses; they almost looked like sunglasses. The metal mask over her mouth and nose probably doubled as a gas mask as well.

She pulled out another arrow and fired it at him. He dodged it, but just barely.

"Holy hell!" Inuyasha yelped out and began racing away from her. He jumped high and dashed away. Positive that he'd outrun her, he turned around and was shocked to see her following. His eyes widened and he sped up, trying to dodge the oncoming arrows that whizzed past him and attempted to pin him against buildings.

"Return that which is not yours!" her voice demanded. He glanced over his shoulder only to be pierced by one of her arrows and pinned to a wall of a building. He frowned and struggled to free himself but more arrows soared and pinned his loose clothing to the wall.

"Damn it," he growled out and glared darkly at her. He couldn't see a facial expression but he imagined she was probably gloating beneath her mask. "What the hell do you want?"

An arrow aimed itself at his heart and he froze. She seemed to glow with an almost unearthly light but he excused it as a trick of the light.

"Return that which is not yours," she repeated and moved forward. Seeing as how he seemingly couldn't move, she stepped beside his prone body and dug into his pockets, extracting a fist of cash.

With a mighty ripping sound he wrenched his arm free and slashed it across her. She gasped loudly as her mask fell from her face, exposing her nose and lips. The full, pink lips curved downwards into an annoyed frown as she quickly jumped away from him, clutching her bow like a lifeline.

"Stay away from me, wench," he demanded and narrowed his eyes at her.

She smirked. He growled. The little wench had the nerve to smirk at him? He debated killing her and was shocked that the thought even crossed his mind. What would his mother think of him now?

They began running at each other, his claws aiming to slice and her arrows aiming to pierce. She gasped in pain as his claws slashed across her left arm. He could just picture her eyes narrowing as crimson blood began to trickle down her arm.

He leered wickedly at her, claws poised to slice through her arrow should she move to grasp one. She never betrayed an emotion. Her lips didn't quiver and her jaw was set in determination.

She strung an arrow and poised at him, but he was nimble on his feet. He dashed across rooftops, with her hot on his tail. Arrows flew and he sidestepped, sending slash marks towards her when she dared to approach him.

It seemed that their escapade progressed through the city, their feet never once slowing down as they both rushed over rooftops. It was annoying to see that the woman could keep up to him. Before tonight he'd been under the delusion that he was the fastest person in Tokyo. He hadn't encountered other demons and he certainly hadn't encountered demon exterminators with arrows poised to pierce him.

Of course, the moment he does something wrong the damned demon hunters appear. That _was_ his luck, after all. He was the unluckiest man alive. He'd been blessed and cursed with his half-demon blood and now it was coming to bite him in the ass.

Maybe not literally, but certainly in the non-literal sense… In short, Inuyasha was not a happy camper. Inuyasha hissed in pain as an arrow nearly caught his chest. It whizzed under his arm, nearly striking over an artery. The arrow slashed against his skin, missing a fatal wound by a mere inch.

He cringed. _That_ was going to leave a mark in the morning, if anything.

"What the fuck is your problem, bitch?" Inuyasha snapped out, his eyes burning with fury as he swiped at her. She did a nimble flip and crouched like a tiger, her hand perched and ready to grasp another arrow.

She sneered at him, wisps of black hair fluttering over her face and framing the gentle curve of her jaw. She tucked it quickly behind an ear. She didn't dare move. She was in the defensive, yet it was obvious to both that she had the upper hand in this dispute. Curses.

He leapt towards her, but she was ready for him. She bent backward, her back pressing against the roof as she presented her legs, covered in combat boots, and dug her heels into his stomach. He felt the ashiko on her feet. He released a small sound that could only be akin to that of a puppy's scream after being kicked. And he had been kicked. Kicked by feet with tiny spikes on it, the ashiko. With a small grunt of effort, using her legs, the demon huntress shoved the half-demon over her head.

He went flying, sprawled across the roof. He landed on his back and groaned quietly as his head slammed against the hard concrete of the Tokyo building. She was on him quicker than he could blink, her foot pressed against his throat.

He struggled to breathe and his golden eyes narrowed as the arrow was strung and aimed at his forehead. He growled threatening, still managing to rummage up a small amount of pride as he glared up towards her.

She allowed herself to smirk, which furthered his annoyance in his current situation. He would be damned the day he allowed a woman to beat him at what surely should have been his own game. What was he, a little child? Wasn't he supposed to be a black belt? Wasn't he supposed to be a great half-demon, with his father's blood pumping through him? Surely someone such as he would not allow a little girl to beat him.

"I give you a chance to surrender yourself to the demon hunters," the huntress said sternly, her voice never betraying a single emotion or hesitancy. She'd done this before, Inuyasha could tell by her actions.

She pressed the heel of her combat boot harder against his throat and he gasped for air. He felt the color draining from his face but he refused to relent. If the wench expected him to beg, she had another thing coming. He'd only been a half-demon for a few days, but already knew that those with demon blood _never_ relented to the weakness of a human. At least, this woman looked human. He could only assume, in the end.

"Never," he rasped out, his breath sounding distant to him, as if he were speaking from far away. His ears twitched and flattened against his head. The rouge demon drew his lips back in a snarl. He'd practiced the said snarl every morning after he took a shower. In hindsight, he realized that sounded rather pathetic, but it wasn't as if he were discussing this over tea with the demon huntress above him. "Bitch."

He added the insult for effect, and it certainly seemed to have an effect on her. Her grip on her metal bow tightened. He could hear the flexing of her tendons and the small crack of her knuckles as they whitened. Sometimes even he was amazed by his hearing.

"You have a lot of impudence," she growled out, her heel digging into his esophagus relentlessly. He gasped but refused to back down, keeping the triumphant look in his eyes. "I'm giving you a chance to prove to me that you are not evil."

Inuyasha snorted. "All demons are evil, you stupid wench. Even you should know that."

She seemed familiar. Standing above him now, arrow poised, her hands clenched and whitened. Her jaw set in her determination, her lips pursed. Surely he'd seen her before? He couldn't place it. But he couldn't really see her. She could be anyone in Tokyo, with her black hair and lithe body. She looked like any other female.

She sighed, her shoulders sagging and the arrow she'd slung loosening in her grip. He blinked in surprise. Surely she was not giving up? What was with this woman, anyway? She was fiery a moment ago and now it seemed as if all her energy had been zapped out of her with a whoosh.

Her heel still dug into his throat and he knew it would bruise unless his demon powers healed it soon.

"You fool," she muttered, her whole body tense. So she hadn't let her guard down? "You always have a choice."

Inuyasha frowned. Why was the stupid wench giving him a lecture when he was at her mercy? She would regret this moment of weakness.

His hand snuck out and grasped her ankle. She managed to release a small yelp of surprise as he sprung to his feet and threw the girl huntress into the air. She soared in a graceful arc before landing on the roof a couple of feet from him.

She groaned, her cheek resting against the concrete. She didn't move. Her bow was strewn away from her opened hand, lying on the roof uselessly. She struggled to stand but her right arm wouldn't move. She narrowed her eyes.

He walked up to her and pressed his bare foot—he'd taken to leaving his shoes at home simply because it provided easier traction—against the small of her back. She gasped in pain as he dug his heel into her spinal cord. He felt the blood rushing through her, her heartbeat quickening as her muscles flexed and tightened beneath his mercy.

He plucked the quiver of arrows on her back away from her, snapping the leather band that held it to her back. He fisted the arrows left in the quiver before snapping them, rendering them useless. He dropped the broken wooden arrows before the woman's face and smirked victoriously. Who had the upper hand now?

"You're not very good at this, are you?" Inuyasha asked, laughter in his voice. A mocking laughter. He taunted the demon huntress below him.

What he wasn't expecting, however, was that the huntress possessed other ninja equipment besides the ashiko. He heard the sliding of metal against a scabbard before he saw the ninja sword glint in the dying moonlight. She turned onto her back, kicking out his foot with a swift knock of her own boot and made to stab him with the flimsy almost-dagger.

He dodged, just barely. She narrowed her eyes and was instantly on her feet. She darted backwards and with a small swoop had obtained her metal bow again. She sheathed the dagger and Inuyasha noted the fact that the scabbard was much longer than the sword itself.

But in any case, the reason the woman had grasped the bow was beyond him. He soon learned why she'd made to save her main weapon, however.

The demon huntress, evidently a skillful ninja, flipped open a hidden compartment towards the center of the metal bow. Inuyasha saw that it had been grooved away and revealed a small, blue switch. With furrowed eyebrows, Inuyasha watched as her pink finger inched in and flipped the tiny switch.

He received his answer as to what it was instantly. The string of the bow began to glow neon blue and buzzed with electricity. Inuyasha's golden eyes swept over her features and he saw her smirk. He didn't like her smirk.

"I'll give you another chance," she said quietly, a warning in her voice. Was she so afraid to kill? Could it be the reason as to why she was giving him so many chances? Did she really believe he wasn't evil? Weren't demon hunters supposed to kill all demons? That was their job, he thought.

As he pondered this, the huntress dove forward, digging the blazing blue string into his stomach. He felt the electrical cord cut the flesh of his stomach and he gasped in pain as electrical currents coursed through him.

He convulsed, his body collapsing to the ground. He cringed and writhed on the ground, biting his lip to contain his screams of pain.

It seemed that time passed slowly as he squirmed at the mercy of the ninja-hunter. But what else could he do? His body betrayed him. He couldn't control himself. He gasped for air, trying to ease the pain that coursed through his body like a thousand pinpricks.

"Why aren't you dead?" he heard her whisper. "All demons disintegrate from this…"

He opened his eyes to see his vision blurred. He could make out the hunter's figure. She was wiry and slender. Inuyasha remarked silently, if only to himself, that for a damned annoying wench, she was still a rather attractive woman.

As his vision focused he could see the moonlight reflecting off her ebony hair, her pink lips quirked downwards in a frown and her hip jutting out as she placed a hand on her waist. The buzzing had ceased and he saw the bow strung over her shoulder. Her hand was on her dagger, ready to pierce his skin should he make a move.

He couldn't find the strength to do so, even if he wanted. He hated to admit it, but the woman had beaten him.

"Heh," he snorted sardonically. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I can't be done in that easily. I'm no average demon."

Suddenly he saw her body go rigid and he knew that she knew. He knew before she spoke. He inhaled, trying to commit her scent to memory, so that perhaps he could find her again and extract his revenge. He was surprised, and slightly annoyed, to find that she had no scent. But how was that possible?

Had he just gotten his ass handed to him by some crazy phantom lady?

But that was not his problem. She sighed and dug around in one of the compartments attached to her belt—a utility belt. He felt like he was in some lame comic book and he was the bad guy that always lost. She extracted small darts. They appeared to be long needles, nearly half a foot long, with a small black ball at the tip.

She turned to him and with a swift flick of her wrist Inuyasha watched as four darts embedded themselves into his thighs, two in each one. He gasped and hissed in pain.

"Half-demon," she whispered and he could hear the change in her voice. He narrowed his eyes.

"That had better not be pity I hear in your voice, bitch," he snarled out.

She looked miffed, if her pursed lips had anything to say about it. "Hardly."

Inuyasha felt a strange sensation start at his legs and work up his body. He felt numb. The needles had been poisoned. He felt his eyelids grow heavy. She stared down at him, at least, that's what it looked like. He couldn't tell with his blurry vision and the goggles that fit over her eyes.

"I have no reason to kill a half-demon," she murmured and extracted a third item from her belt. She threw it at her own feet and was encased in a cloud of smoke.

He wasn't sure if it was the poisoned darts seeping through his veins or the fact that the putrid scent of the smoke was too unbearable, but Inuyasha felt himself slip into a blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

"You're an idiot," his mother declared. Inuyasha sighed. He wasn't sure what was sadder: the fact that Inuyasha had dragged himself to his mother or the fact that his mother was not showering him with sympathy, as a proper mother should be.

"Thanks, Mom," Inuyasha muttered as he rubbed his aching head. A roll of bandages bounced off his forehead and he growled. Picking up the bandage, he began wrapping it around the various injuries he'd received from the hunter.

"Well, you are," Izayoi snapped out angrily, lavender eyes glaring at her son. "Do you have any idea how lucky you are that that demon hunter let you live?"

"It was only because I was a half-demon," Inuyasha snapped out. He fisted the bandage angrily as he wrapped it around his arm. Blood drizzled out only to be swiped away by his hand.

"Inuyasha," Izayoi said sternly. She used the voice she had used the last time he'd gotten in trouble: when he'd broken his arm from falling off the streetlight he'd been climbing at the age of six.

He sighed in defeat and threw his hands up. "Fine, fine! I was stupid, I know. Shut up about it already."

He was being a grouch. Izayoi would have none of it, however, as she demonstrated with a slap of her hand against the back of his head. He yelped in surprise and clutched the back of his head, feeling for a bump even though he knew that there wouldn't be one.

"You're more than stupid, you're reckless!" Izayoi huffed and crossed her arms. "Gods, when I think about what could have happened… I just…" She shivered and closed her eyes, willing the images away with a shake of her head and clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Well… I'm just thankful you're alive."

Inuyasha sighed again.

"But really, Inuyasha," Izayoi's cross voice had returned and she fixed her son with a piercing look. "What were you thinking? After I told you _not_ to go outside at night, especially in that form! Have you completely lost your mind? Do you_ want_ to kill yourself?"

"No, Mom," Inuyasha snorted with a roll of his eyes as he finished wrapping up the last of injuries. "It wasn't that bad. I'd been out there almost every night and that was the first time I'd run into one of them!"

"What?" Izayoi snapped out. Inuyasha cringed. That obviously was not the thing he was supposed to say to his mother to soothe her ruffled feathers. No, it seemed that he'd angered her even more. "What did you just say? Every night?"

Inuyasha swallowed as his mother loomed over him. He paled, his lavender eyes staring at his mother. "Uh… yes?"

His mother was fuming. He could almost see the smoke blowing out from her ears.

"You reckless… senseless… irresponsible… careless… foolish boy," she snapped out, punctuating each insult with a slap of her hand atop the crown of his head. Her palm slammed against his ears and they screamed in protest.

"God, Mom!" Inuyasha yelped cringing as her hand poised to hit him again. "This is domestic violence! Cut it out!"

Izayoi suddenly burst into tears. Inuyasha panicked, staring in surprise as his mother's stern, powerful form crumbled and dissolved into a blubbering woman. She wept out of relief, he knew this, but that did nothing to satisfy the urgency he felt whenever he saw tears falling from a female's eyes.

"M-mom!" Inuyasha gasped out, reaching out a hand to touch his mother's shoulder but thinking better of it. "Stop! Don't cry! Stop!"

Izayoi reigned in on her rampaging emotions and sat up with a sniff, wiping her eyes with the corner of her long sleeved shirt. She sniffled out an apology and took in deep breaths for a long moment as she gained control of herself.

"Inuyasha," she said, trying to comfort her son despite the waver in her own voice. "You can't do this anymore. You'll get hurt, more than you have tonight, or even get killed. I don't want that. Especially with you being only a half-breed…"

"What does my being a half-breed got to do with anything? The demons are hated just as much as half-demons," Inuyasha muttered out. Izayoi shook her head.

"It's not that, Inuyasha. It's you being a half-demon… as such, you have… limitations."

"Limitations?" Inuyasha was miffed.

"Yes, limitations," Izayoi soothed gently, trying to lessen the blow that Inuyasha knew was coming. "You have no control over elements or any such powers like that. All you have is your strength. And even then, your claws can only do so much. And only in short range."

Inuyasha pursed his lips.

"At least until you learn attacks… if you learn attacks," Izayoi was quick to amend her earlier words, trying to reassure Inuyasha and warn him the same time without jeopardizing her son's ocean of pride.

"Besides," Izayoi continued, her lips seemingly etched into a permanent frown. "You cannot go outside on the new moon."

Inuyasha reeled back, his eyes narrowing. The new moon was approaching. "Why?" he barked.

"You're a half-demon… Inuyasha… and… like all half-breeds, at some point during the month, you will lose your powers." Izayoi looked nervous.

Inuyasha recalled the lessons he'd received about half-breeds when he was younger and had gone through the necessary demon-defense classes. They'd had small units on the abominations, the Halflings. He remembered that there was a certain day every month for a half-breed that they feared the most because that was when the demon of ancient times had an easier time killing them: the time when their powers dimmed. Whether it depended on it being the night or the day, depended on the weather, the temperature, or the position of the sun, it mattered only to the half-breed. It varied for each one. No one knew for sure if there was an ongoing trait with the certain breeds of Halflings or if it was all randomized.

"My time is the new moon, huh?" Inuyasha questioned lightly. Izayoi nodded gravely. "For the entire night?" Izayoi nodded again. "When do I get my powers back?"

" Sunrise," Izayoi murmured gently, her lavender eyes staring at her son earnestly. "Please, do not do anything reckless."

"Right, of course, mother," Inuyasha murmured, lowering his head and frowning. He'd forgotten his night of dimmed powers. Luckily it wasn't for a long time. "Oh… Mom, I forgot to tell you."

He stuffed his hand into his pocket and extracted the very thing that had gotten him into the brawl with the hunter. She'd taken one pocket of cash, but forgotten the other. He handed his mother the roll of bills. Izayoi regarded him.

"I got in a few more hours than normal," Inuyasha explained quickly before Izayoi protested. He smiled at her.

"Inuyasha…" She had that warning tone in her voice. "You know I don't like to take money from you."

"You're not taking it, you're receiving it. It's a gift," Inuyasha protested and narrowed his eyes. "Just take it, Mom."

He swore if his mother rejected the money that nearly cost him his life, he would go ape on her. But he was happy to see that, after some reluctance, she took the cash from him and walked away, to wherever she kept the money he gave her. She probably refrained from using it for herself when possible.

"Just be careful," Izayoi said gently. "You were reckless as a child, too. You nearly killed yourself when you turned human because you tried to jump off the top shelf of your father's bookcase." Izayoi shook her head at the memory, lips quirking into a tiny smile. "Even then you were showing your powers."

"My powers?" Inuyasha asked, curious. Hadn't she just told him he didn't have powers?

Izayoi smiled forlornly. "You'll find out soon enough, sweetie."

Inuyasha didn't like the answer Izayoi gave him, but she didn't elaborate or say anything more on the subject.

* * *

Inuyasha groaned three days later as he slunk into his class and plopped down into his seat. He rested his head against the desk, warmed by the sunlight that filtered through the large windows. Whatever the huntress had had in those darts had obviously been made for a demon because his legs were still weak from the poison. He was sore. He was tired. He did _not_ want to be learning about the Meiji era right now.

Kagome was already sitting there, as she always was. She always managed to make it to class before he did, no matter how early he told himself he'd set out for the room. She doodled in the margins of her notebook she used specifically for this class to take notes on their professor's lecture.

She must have felt his gaze on her because she turned her head, casting opaque blue eyes on him. Lavender eyes stared at her halfheartedly. He didn't even think to turn his gaze away out of modesty or embarrassment. He just… stared.

He must have looked like crap because she looked concerned. She rarely graced him with a facial expression. She licked her lips and tilted her head to the side.

"Are you okay?" she said at last. "You look exhausted."

"No," he moaned. He didn't even realize that this was the most emotion he'd ever put into his voice around Kagome Higurashi, his history desk partner. "I feel like shit."

She frowned thoughtfully, her summery scent wafting past his nostrils and filling him with a deep sense of tranquility and peace. Why did Kagome have such a calming affect on him?

"It's no big deal," he said lightly, waving his hand as if to banish the concerned look in Kagome's eyes. He didn't want her pity on top of the stupid hunter's pity as well. He'd spent the last few days searching for her, but she never appeared. Neither, much to Inuyasha's relief, did any other hunter.

"Did you party too hard or something?" Kagome asked, her lips quirking at the corners, betraying the smile she was suppressing.

Well, that was as good as of reason for him to be sore and tired as anything his mind had been thinking up.

He gave her a tiny, clipped nod. "Yeah…"

She hummed slightly, whether in understanding or disappointment, he didn't know. He didn't know anything about Kagome: the pretty, smart girl that sat next to him. He shook his head and cleared his throat, turning his attention to the window.

He watched birds fly idly by, their wings spread and their beaks opened, producing delightful song. He sighed and longed to be out there, soaring with the birds and not cooped up in his history class, trying to get an education.

Kagome rested her head against her palm, her fingers tapping gently against her cheekbone. Inuyasha could hear it in high definition. He focused on the noise, feeling his concealed dog ear twitch backwards towards her.

Up until now he hadn't really cared about Kagome. She was just a girl in his history class. So why now did he long to know her?

* * *

He knew his mother would kill him if she found out, but he didn't care. Blood roared in his ears, urging him to feel the wind in his hair again, the rush of blood as he raced across rooftops. He avoided all banks, though.

It seemed to be chalking up to be another one of his boring nightly runs, nothing exciting like getting ninja stars stuck in his skull or police officers firing bullets in his general direction.

He was wrong though.

He was sitting near the top of the Rainbow Bridge. Behind him he saw the Tokyo Tower, maybe five leaps away from him with his demon strength. The bright lights of cars' headlights below prevented him from doing something drastic. He didn't want to hurt anyone.

Instead, he sat cross-legged on one of the structures that held the bridge up. The horizon was dotted with infrequent stars; the burning balls were blocked out by the insistent light of Tokyo. He longed to see the constellations. The moon glowed, its heavenly light illuminating off the surface of the water below.

He was sitting there with really no inspiration to get up and do something, just simply sit and try and breathe in the semi-fresh air of Tokyo around him when he caught sight of something. It was a flicker and he wasn't sure what it was.

Soon enough, however, the demon got his answer. A tall man with long black hair landed on the structure he currently sat on, his eyes narrowed as he observed the half-demon. Inuyasha growled out of reflex, body tensing and golden eyes staring warily at the intruder.

"Hello," his voice murmured out. It was slick, and there was a hidden undertone of malice in his voice. Who was this guy?

Inuyasha sniffed and cringed. A demon. His golden eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha barked out.

The man smirked slowly.

"Just a moment of your time…" He took a step towards Inuyasha and instantly the dog demon was on his feet, his lips drawn back in a sneer and his eyes staring at him.

"Then spit it out," Inuyasha snapped.

"I haven't seen you around," the man stated calmly, completely unfazed by the half-breed's bitterness. He examined his long claws, flicking away dried flecks of what appeared to be blood to Inuyasha. Dark crimson eyes focused on Inuyasha again. "I daresay you aren't part of the league."

"League…" Inuyasha's brow furrowed.

"The League of Demons, of course," the man said, humor in his voice. He chuckled, full of a dark mirth. He smirked, his eyes narrowing as he looked over Inuyasha's body. The said half-demon felt exposed under the dark man's unwavering gaze.

"I… I'm not," Inuyasha whispered, trying to resist the urge to bolt.

"Hm…" The man hummed, seemingly expecting this answer without asking.

Could it be… that Inuyasha was faced to face with the fabled Ring Leader? The man behind the demon attacks, who led the league? Could it be that Inuyasha was standing right with him?

"I go by the name of Naraku," said suspected Ring Leader. Inuyasha shivered at the name. "And you are…?"

Inuyasha swallowed. "Inuyasha."

"A suitable name," the man agreed. Atop Rainbow Bridge, the demon began to circle Inuyasha, his dark scarlet eyes sweeping over the half-breed's tense form. He tutted here and there, and hummed his approval or grunted his disapproval. What exactly the man was looking, for Inuyasha wasn't sure.

"Are you… their leader?" Inuyasha murmured before he could stop himself.

Naraku smirked, but this time not out of mirth. The smirk only accented the evil that seemed to hang around him like a pall. His dark lips never curved downwards. He looked angry, yet amused at the same time. It seemed to Inuyasha that his face always looked as such.

"You're quite curious. And what if I was?" Naraku asked, his eyebrows cocking upwards towards his hairline.

Inuyasha's brown furrowed. "I would have to wonder what you'd want with me."

"Hm… a fine question indeed," Naraku agreed. A light breeze ruffled the long black hair from his face. He almost seemed elf-like. A demented, evil looking elf, but an elf all the same. "Tell me, Inuyasha, why is it that you are out here on this night?"

"I…" Inuyasha faltered as he thought. "I'm just out."

"Do you have a reason?" Naraku questioned, his eyes flashing in the near darkness of the night.

Inuyasha shrugged one shoulder, trying to come off as casual, despite the fact his organs were knotting in his chest cavity. He would not let Naraku see his discomfort. But then again… perhaps Naraku could smell his fear? Well, damn.

"I have an important proposition for you then, Inuyasha," Naraku said silkily, finally getting to the point as to why he'd approached Inuyasha. Inuyasha swallowed and fisted his hands.

"What?" he asked, almost too fearful to inquire.

Naraku was silent for a long time. "We are running short on recruits. Obviously you of all people…" His eyes flickered. "A half-demon…" Inuyasha cringed. "Would understand how disgusting humans can be. They're destroying us. I have been scouring the city, searching for demons to fight for us. We will make the petty human race fall to their knees."

Inuyasha frowned as he gazed at Naraku. He fisted his own hands. "No."

"What?" Naraku seemed slightly taken aback by the man's proposal.

Inuyasha didn't like Naraku. He didn't even know the man, but he could just tell that he was not the kind of person he wanted to be around. It was his intuition. His own version of a women's intuition. Of course, he realized that that made no sense, but it wasn't like he was telling anyone about his faux women's intuition, now was he?

"That's not a wise decision, Inuyasha," Naraku said silkily, his sleek and smooth voice causing a shiver to claw up his spine.

Inuyasha paled. Why had he told Naraku his name? Was he a complete fool?

"I'd rather do my own thing…" Inuyasha whispered, clenching his fists.

"I urge you to reconsider my offer, Halfling," Naraku said, dark red eyes narrowing.

"Um… yes… I will," Inuyasha reassured. Anything to get the man out of his way.

He needn't worry, however, because in that very instant a figure jumped onto the bridge, and a combat boot, complete with ashiko, slammed into the side of Naraku's face.

* * *

_Author's Notes:_ And one month later… I return. I'm sorry this took so long. I'm starting my junior year… the hardest year out of the four. I need to study and work on my homework. Updates will be infrequent, as you can see. Sorry for the inconvenience, everyone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Four**

* * *

Inuyasha stared in mild shock as the same huntress from before slammed into Naraku, the spikes at her feet digging into his cheek until it drew blood. With a graceful back flip, she landed on her feet, crouched, much like she had when he'd fought her.

He stared in mild shock as Naraku snapped his head back around and fixed the huntress with a dark glare. "You…!"

She had a new metal grate over her mouth and nose and the glasses over her eyes completely hid her face. He could not see her facial expression but he knew that she was probably smirking at her valiant sneak attack.

Naraku fixed his attention on Inuyasha, his eyes narrowing. Inuyasha stared back, hoping that he would not say his name. He did not want the demon hunter to know his name.

But it seemed as if Naraku would never have his moment. The woman dove forward, her hands extended much like his were when using his claws. He saw them glint in the moonlight and realized they were fake claws attached to her fingertips with a leather band. The ancient ninja weapon neko-te.

He could smell the putrid stench of poison and knew she'd dipped the claws in some kind of venom. The huntress aimed for Naraku's eyes, the claws scraping against his pale skin as he dodged nimbly and somewhat effortlessly.

"Is that the best you can do, Kamen?" he snarled as he whipped his hand out and grasped the girl around her neck. She gasped for air.

Inuyasha's brow furrowed. Her name meant 'disguise'? He realized after a moment of air headed thinking that that was probably an alias to protect her identify. Inuyasha wished he'd been smart like that before he'd gone and told Naraku his real name. Or maybe Naraku would think it was his alias, too?

Ha, Inuyasha was so smart.

He watched in fascination as 'Kamen' dug her neko-te into Naraku's outreaching arm. He snarled and dug his real claws into her neck. She gasped in pain, throwing her head back toward the sky. Despite the fact that her face was hidden, Inuyasha could envision her face contorted in pain.

Inuyasha didn't allow himself to think before he acted. With a mighty leap, he was diving towards Naraku, his own claws outstretched. Naraku growled as Inuyasha's claws slashed across his back. Instantly he dropped the hunter, who fell to the ground and lay there.

He turned his eyes towards Inuyasha and smirked. "Whelp," he said coolly. "You dare go against me?"

Inuyasha reeled back, a growl reverberating from his throat and his dark golden eyes watching Naraku. The man chuckled and shook his head.

"Fools," he laughed, though it was not a gentle laugh. His chuckle sent chills down Inuyasha's spine and he felt like a bucket of ice water had just been thrown into his face. "You'll regret this, half-breed."

Inuyasha growled as Naraku jumped into the air, much like he'd approached Inuyasha. Only this time his body was surrounded in a dark mist. Inuyasha coughed as it hit him and he keeled over. Miasma covered his entire body and he felt the poison fill his lungs.

His eyes began to water and he dug his claws into the stone. He received solace, however, when he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. He stared in shock as the demon hunter with the alias 'Kamen' dart towards him, unhooking something from the sash around her waist. Before he could say anything she'd pressed a metal gas mask, similar to her own, against his face.

He sucked in a lungful of clean, filtered air and felt the screaming in his lungs slowly diminish. He stared at the demon huntress warily, as if she were planning on plucking his savior away from his face and allowing him to suffocate in the poisonous cloud Naraku had left behind.

Once the smoke had dissipated, the woman pulled the mask away and re-hooked it to her belt. She pulled her own mask down and it hung around her neck, revealing her frowning lips and her small, button nose. Inuyasha's throat was dry and scratchy from the large breaths of air he'd taken in of the miasma but he was alive. And that's what mattered.

"Er…" Inuyasha was about to thank her, a rare occurrence indeed, but the girl was already on her feet and approaching the edge of the bridge's support, probably to make her leave. "Hey, wench! I'm talking to you."

She paused in her retreat and glanced at him over her shoulder. The moonlight reflected off her dark ebony hair again. Her body was tense and he knew that she was glaring at him.

"You will be wise to avoid Naraku," she finally said after a long moment of regarding the man. Inuyasha bristled. He did not like being told what to do, especially by this girl. She sounded cocky. He was the only one that was supposed to be cocky around here.

"Keh! It wasn't as if I was asking him to come here," Inuyasha snapped out, his golden eyes narrowing as he furrowed his brow at her. He crossed his arms and stood up to his full height. He towered over her as he marched towards her. With every step she tensed and poised herself—whether to attack or bolt, Inuyasha wasn't sure.

Despite her uncomfortable posture, her voice remained calm and collected. "You do every time you run around this city. You are proving to be quite a nuisance."

"Keh," Inuyasha snorted.

She sighed, her lips parting to let the air pass. "I have no time to fight with you, half-breed. I need to stop the demon."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Whatever, wench. It's not like I'm holding you here against your will."

He snickered at the way her lips curved downwards further at this information. Annoying this woman was proving to be one of his favorite things to do, now that he'd found her again.

"Don't make me use my darts again," she warned, though a small amount of amusement laced her voice. Inuyasha paused and frowned, crossing his arms.

"You caught me on a bad day, wench," Inuyasha snorted. "Had I wanted to beat you, I would have."

She chuckled. "Whatever, halfling."

He waved his hand and moved towards the edge of the bridge's support. "I haven't got the time to deal with you, woman."

She hummed in the back of her throat before unhooking what looked like a gun from beneath her belt. He hadn't seen it until now. What was a ninja doing with a gun, anyway? He got his answer when she aimed it at the building closest to the bridge and shot. A grappling gun. Duh. She _was_ a human, after all.

Unfortunately for the woman, her gun didn't come even close to the building. She cursed under her breath as she drew the hook back, reloading her gun. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he watched her. At this point, she'd have to climb down the support block either into oncoming traffic or the water. From their positions there was no way to get to the pedestrians portion of the bridge, underneath the cars that zoomed by.

"Worthless," Inuyasha mocked. She turned her face towards him and snorted.

"And I suppose you have a better way of getting down, hm?" she accused snidely, the tone in her voice daring him to mock her.

He smirked and grasped the back of her black uniform. She tensed up and her hand instantly went to the small ninja knife at her waist. He rolled his eyes and lifted her effortlessly off the ground before slinging her over his shoulder like he would a sack of potatoes.

He heard her make a small noise of discontentment at the new position she found herself in and began struggling to get off. He saw her hand go for her belt, undoubtedly going for her darts or her knife.

"Relax, wench, this is the quickest way of the bridge."

"What, you're going to throw me?" she asked tensely, and Inuyasha could hear the underlying nervousness in her voice.

Instead of answering, Inuyasha began running and as he reached the end of the support block, he pushed off with all his might. He soared through the air. To Kamen's credit, she didn't squirm or scream. She just stayed there against his back, her arms crossed and her legs moderately kicking him where she could reach, simply to show him that she would not be made a fool of.

As he began to descend from his graceful arch, Inuyasha did a small flip—perhaps to show off to the talented hunter-ninja—and landed on the side of the bridge's road. But he was quickly in the air again. About three leaps later he was on the dry land and set the woman down with an unceremonious drop. She hit the ground and groaned as she rubbed her back.

She stopped instantly, however, when she realized that his gaze was on her and he was chuckling about her discomfort. She turned her face towards him and he felt the anger rolling off her in waves. He waved her aside.

"There you go, wench, nice and safe." He dodged a nimble kick to his groin as the woman stood up. She placed her hands on her hips and leaned her head forward. He could feel her glare through the protective goggles she wore.

Finally, he heard her sigh, but he could still feel the dwindling burn of her glare. He rolled his shoulders and snorted.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"What did Naraku want with you?" she asked instead of answering his own question. Inuyasha frowned.

"What does it matter to you?" Inuyasha questioned. She didn't relent to his glare and just stood there, hands on hips with her chin tilted upwards slightly. He growled. "He wanted me to join him or some stupid cliché like that."

Kamen made a small noise in the back of her throat and tossed her head like a horse. "You'll have to come with me then."

"Where?" Inuyasha snarled, wondering what the stupid girl wanted with him anyway.

"To my headquarters," she said coolly.

"What are you, the head of the hunters or something?" Inuyasha snorted. The way she said it made it sound like the headquarters belonged to her. Whatever the headquarters was. Probably where the demon hunters grouped and plotted against his fun.

A sense of dread fell over him. All his life he'd followed the rules. He'd never disobeyed save for that time when he'd stolen some yen from his mother's wallet in order to buy a soda at the gas station, but that was it. The urge in his blood to have reckless fun had driven him to do things he would have never thought of a month before. Was his troublesome nature over the past few weeks finally coming back to haunt him? Was this hunter going to kill him?"

She sighed. "No, I'm not the head of the demon exterminators." She sounded dejected, like a teacher after a day of babysitting troubled teenagers. Her head lowered, just a fraction of an inch. Had Inuyasha been able to detect a scent from her, he would have realized her distress was evident. He saw her muscles tense. "My father was. My uncle is now."

Why was she telling him this? He didn't dare ask.

Kamen sighed again and a light breeze ruffled their hair. "But you'll need to come with me all the same. You've come in contact with Naraku. It is vital that I take you to the hunters' headquarters at once."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Forget it. I'm going home."

He turned on his heel and made to leave. He didn't hear Kamen come up behind him and grasp his arm, twisting it behind his back. He tensed. If he moved his arm Kamen would surely break it, and even though he was capable of healing by tomorrow morning, he didn't like the idea of having this woman breaking a bone of his body.

"You will come with me," she said, colder than before. Her voice was demanding and Inuyasha felt his brow furrow. He didn't like the way she condescended him so subtlety. Just because he was a half-breed didn't mean she was better than him. Was that what she thought? He wasn't sure, but he wasn't too keen on finding out.

There was no way he was going to let this wench get the best of him. He struggled and her hand jerked his arm further behind his back. He felt the strain on his bone and he cringed inwardly.

"Fine," he muttered. His arm was automatically released. He smirked. "See you later, wench."

With a nimble leap he was on top of the roof and dashing away. He heard her curse loudly and set out on pursuit of him, but by the time she was on the roof, he was long gone.

* * *

"You should write this down," Kagome advised in their history class. Inuyasha jumped to attention and stared at her with wild eyes. She giggled and returned her attention to the lecture being given, scribbling down notes in her flowing writing. He'd been staring out the window daydreaming.

He sighed and scribbled down some notes after checking over Kagome's notes. She was a good note taker, and he certainly understood what the professor was yapping about when reading Kagome's notes. He smiled in thanks and she nodded her head silently before scribbling down some more. He tried his hardest to keep his attention on his professor, but it was becoming increasingly hard with his mind wandering.

So much had happened since his birthday, which really hadn't been that long ago. He sighed and blew air out of his mouth in a small stream. He heard Kagome shift to look at him before returning her attention to the front of the room. Inuyasha tapped his pen against his notebook before bowing his head and resting his head in his hand. He wanted to be anywhere but here. He hated history.

Thankfully class was nearing an end. He only had his history class today and he would happily retreat back to his home once class was dismissed. He watched Kagome write and copied down her notes. He'd go over the notes later on so he could understand what he was writing. He heard Kagome giggle under her breath, and he realized that she knew what he was doing.

He snapped his body upright and away from the leaning position he'd taken to look at her notes and stared attentively at the professor as he droned on in his monotone voice of his. His interest quickly dwindled and he slumped over in his chair again. Lavender eyes stared out the window dimly and he watched birds fly gently through the air. He longed to be soaring with them, too…

He felt a small jab in his side and sat upright again in time to see the professor's eyes sweep over the class. He'd asked a question. He glanced nervously at Kagome, but she didn't look at him. Luck was on his side today, a rare occurrence indeed since he claimed to have the worst luck in the world, and the professor called on someone else on the other side of the room.

He sighed in relief and slid down his chair, making himself smaller. His feet extended out from in front of him and kicked against the leg of the chair in front of him. The student sitting there didn't seem to notice or care.

Half an hour later the class was dismissed and Inuyasha happily packed his things away. He smiled lightly as he turned his head towards the warm sunshine streaming through the large windows of the classroom.

"You know," he heard Kagome say behind him and he turned to look at her. She was smiling, her pink lips tilted upwards and her beautiful blue eyes sparkling in the glowing sunlight. "You shouldn't be spacing out like that during class. Especially since midterms are coming up."

His brow furrowed. "I know… I've just been distracted lately."

Kagome made a small noise in the back of her throat and shrugged one shoulder. Her smile never wavered and she seemed incredibly amused with his discomfort. She slung the small backpack she used to hold her books over her shoulder.

"You don't do too well in this class, do you?" she questioned tentatively, as if afraid he'd be angry for the very true observation.

Inuyasha felt his spirits dampen like a bucket of water had been thrown over him.

"Yeah," he agreed as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. They began leaving the classroom, following the stream of students exiting the building. Inuyasha relished the warmth of the sun and the caress of the breeze. "I'm not very good with dates and all that."

"Well, we're in a pretty boring part of history right now," Kagome agreed with a gentle nod. He watched as the wind brushed her long black hair from her face and the way the sunlight bounced off the ebony tresses. Why was he staring at her hair? He shook his head and rubbed his temple. "But it will get better. You just have to pay attention and do the reading."

"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha sighed and waved his hand. He slung his backpack farther up his shoulder. "Where are you off to next?"

"Home," Kagome said brightly and she seemed just as delighted as he was to get home. "That's my last class of the day."

"Me too."

They stopped at the crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn and allow them to cross. He stood uncomfortably but she seemed unfazed by his uneasy stance. He wasn't very good with girls and it was hard for Inuyasha not to dart away.

He realized that he was the pinnacle of a pathetic virgin boy, but he always felt uncomfortable around girls like Kagome. She was confident yet kind. But at the same time he couldn't help but feel that those blue eyes staring at him were silently judging him. She wasn't necessarily aloof, but she had that look in her eyes that suggested that she was hiding something. He stuffed his hands into his pockets again and started crossing the street when the light turned green for them.

She made to continue walking, but he had to turn. Ah well. He sighed and cleared his throat. "I'll see you next week, Kagome."

She nodded her head and waved her hand, her lips still curved into a smile. "Bye bye."

He stood at the second crosswalk, watching Kagome walk down the sidewalk, her hair swinging around her shoulders and her hips swaying as she walked. Violet eyes watched as she grew farther and farther from him before she finally turned the corner and disappeared from his view for another week.

He hummed in appreciation. "I guess she is kind of cute…"

He blushed and crossed the street.

* * *

"Shit, how do I always get myself into these messes?" Inuyasha yelped out loud as a large fist came colliding into a building, nearly missing his head by an inch. He growled and leapt away as the large ogre-like creature came tumbling after him, his large, troll feet slamming against the ground. His lips fluttering out countless profanities that would make a sailor blush, Inuyasha quickly dashed away, feeling the soles of his sneakers scraping against the pavement and burning away. And they were new shoes, too. Terrific.

His luck may have spared him in class that day, but it certainly hadn't decided to go easy on his demon side. Lady Luck had it in for him.

"Shit!" he swore again as the ogre man grabbed his leg in his iron vice of a grip and swung him against a streetlamp. The pole bent under the force of his body colliding with it and Inuyasha gasped in pain as the air rushed from his lungs. He wheezed as the oni swung him from side to side like a pendulum.

"Halfling," the man snarled, his mouth opening to reveal yellow-green teeth rotting in its gums. Inuyasha's nostrils were greeted with the putrid scent of rotten flesh and bad breath. He coughed and felt his throat dry from the disgusting scents the ogre produced. "How dare you enter my territory?"

Like this disgusting creature owned a part of Tokyo. Inuyasha didn't voice this opinion. He snarled at the ogre and struggled in the demon's grip on his leg, trying to rip the appendage free from the man's stone-grip.

Probably the ogre claimed a dank, disgusting alleyway as his territory. But that wasn't really Inuyasha's main concern. The man's real problem here was the fact that he was getting beaten up by a pathetic lower demon. Inuyasha struggled some more, attempting to free himself from the ogre's grip.

"Stupid," the thing wheezed, his mouth curving upwards into a sinister grin, his green lips cracked and chapped. His breath wafted from his mouth, causing his nostrils to flare and his lungs to scream in agony. "Stupid whelp, you can't escape me."

Inuyasha's claws flexed and he growled darkly in warning. The demon either didn't hear him or decided to ignore the man in favor of taunting and jabbing at the dog demon. Inuyasha felt the fuse of his anger slowly drawing towards the end. He was near an explosion.

As the demon swung him towards a building to smash him against a fire escape, Inuyasha seized his chance. He threw his hand out, his long, thick claws poised for attack and he dove his hand down. He felt the flesh against his hand as the talons on his fingertips ripped through the flesh like tissue paper.

The blood curdling scream that sounded from the demon's lips was enough to shatter Inuyasha's eardrums. He cringed as the demon dropped the half-demon, who flopped to the ground, disoriented. He lifted his head in time to see the ogre tumble backwards, his back smacking against a dumpster. Inuyasha watched him as he claimed the fresh air (or as fresh as a city could be) into his lungs.

He watched in silent awe as the ogre gasped for air, five slash marks running down the length of his chest. Blood spilled out in some rivulets and collected on the ground in tiny pools. Golden eyes watched as the last thread of life escaped the ogre and his head sank against his shoulder, lolling to the side.

It seemed that he sat there for the longest time, his golden eyes focused on the dead body. The body that _he'd_ killed with his very own hands. His heart still pounded wildly in his chest and it felt as if he'd never breathe normally again.

He struggled to rise up from the ground. He rested against the wall for support, feeling the brick and steal against his back through the fabric of his shirt. He stared, his mouth flopped open.

Had he just… killed someone?

His mouth went dry and his eyes widened as he stared at the dead body before him. It was an odd sensation, like it was all part of some strange dream, seeing the cadaver lying there motionlessly.

He stumbled away from the scene, knowing that the hunters would undoubtedly come and investigate the dead body. They did specialize in demons, after all. His legs found their strength, finally, and the half-breed leapt away. When he was far enough away to avoid suspicion, Inuyasha flopped down on a rooftop, staring at his bloodied claws.

"I just… killed him," he whispered to himself, his words dying almost immediately after leaving his throat. His chest constricted.

It had been self defense, yes, but he'd never come close to doing _anything_ like this. He'd been well mannered his entire life, despite the blood sleeping within him. This whole thing with jumping around at night had been for fun.

It had simply been his way to unleash the blood within him, making up for twenty-two years of brown nosing. He'd wanted to feel rebellious for just a moment, and he had a chance to be whoever he wanted as the demon and return to his mild-mannered life the next morning as Inuyasha. The man shook his head in disbelief.

When had his fun become a reckless danger? When had the line been crossed between a halfling enjoying the night to a half-breed being a killer?

Inuyasha's brow furrowed and he slammed his fists against the roof of the building he sat on top of. Why had he crossed that line? What did that mean?

Sure, the demon was going to kill him and he'd acted in self defense, but he hadn't wanted to kill him. No, he never wanted to kill someone. That would prove that all demons were evil.

But now…

Inuyasha's sad golden eyes captured the moon, a small clipped fingernail in the sky. The moon had been witness to the transformation to reckless boy to heartless killer. What had happened back there?

Did that make him evil now?

He desperately began rubbing his hands against his pants, wishing to hide the crimson blood amid his dark denim. He wanted to hide the evidence of his destructive nature that had taken surface.

Had he crossed the line, too?

Was he bad now? Was he evil? Before now he could have argued that he had no evil intentions with his slightly destructive fun… but now, he was a murderer.

That simple word sent a ripple through him, flooring him. He was a murderer. In the eyes of the law, he'd just committed manslaughter. Human or not, he'd just killed somebody. Every time that thought ran through his mind, Inuyasha shivered.

"I'm evil now, aren't I?"

"That remains to be seen," a voice said behind him. Instantly Inuyasha was on his feet, his back arched and his hair standing on end. He poised his already bloodied claws before realizing it was the huntress. Her head tilted towards the claws and he quickly hid them, his golden eyes narrowing.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped. Curse him for not sensing her, even if she lacked a scent.

"I can say the same to you," she said crossly instead of answering his question. "What happened?"

"Nothing. What are you talking about?" Inuyasha feigned innocence. The last thing he wanted was judgment from the irritable huntress.

He crossed his arms, hiding his hands from Kamen's view. He wouldn't relent to her will, no matter what she did. She took a step towards him and he instantly took a step back before cursing himself for such stupidity. He was _not_ afraid of Kamen.

The woman exposed no emotion with her face hidden behind her eyewear and her filtering mask. She kept walking towards him and he kept taking step backs. He cursed himself for not having her scent—it left him practically blind to her being. A scent exposed so much and all he could feel was a powerful aura rolling off Kamen. If only he was better at reading auras.

He barely had time to register what she was grabbing something from her sash, quick as lightening. With a nimble toss, a device flew at him. He attempted to dodge but it hit him square in the stomach. He gasped in pain as steel vines erupted from the metal sphere and wrapped around him like a python. Inuyasha choked, attempting to breathe and scent a dark glare towards him.

"Don't make me electrocute you," she said lightly as she walked towards him. Her aura dimmed as she picked up the empty container of the demon binding. She tucked it away in a pocket attached to the sash that was really a utility belt. He felt once again like he was in a messed up Batman cartoon. "Because it has that power."

Inuyasha snorted and tried to free his hands, which the vines had forced against his side. "What are you going to do to me, wench?"

"Take you to the HQ," she said casually, as if she took demons to her headquarters every day. Inuyasha's lips pursed as the woman slung her bow over her shoulder and grasping the half-breed.

"Oh hell no!" Inuyasha struggled against his bindings but to no avail. Kamen fixed him with a dark glare before returning her attention to ahead of her.

"You can do this the easy way and follow me or you can make me carry you."

Inuyasha mused over this. Like he wanted some brat of a woman carrying him around like a child or a sack of potatoes; and there was no way that she'd let him escape if he walked on his own.

He sighed. "I'll walk."

* * *

When Inuyasha had said walk, he'd been expected to actually walk. But what actually occurred was nothing short of humiliating, especially in front of Kamen. He spent the time going to the HQ hopping around on both feet. He tried to convince the demon exterminator to unbind his legs so he could walk normally, but she refused.

Needless to say, it took them quite a while to get to the hunter's fabled headquarters. He wasn't a happy camper by the time the trip was complete.

From the outside, the HQ looked like any normal building. Inside was a different story.

Kamen exposed a small card and slashed it through the machine outside a normal looking door on the side of the building. They both entered and Inuyasha was bombarded by a variety of scents—the majority humans he'd never smelled before.

He stood awkwardly before Kamen pushed him in, her hand shoving against his back. He hissed lightly and took a step forward. He didn't like the huntress dragging him into the headquarters. He was a half-demon, after all. As far as he was concerned, he was doing a march of death. Of course, it was more like a hop of death, but that sounded far less dramatic.

Once they were in the center of the large opening area and the door had slammed shut, bleeping with the security codes used to lock it from the inside, Kamen released the hold of the restrictive metal wraps around him. He was free and he stretched out his arms, feeling his tense muscles stretch and constrict within him. He stared at the huntress for a long moment before crossing his arms.

"This way," she motioned, jerking her head. She turned on her heel and they began an extravagant weaving. It seemed they were stuck in a labyrinth with the amount of turns they took. Occasionally they ran into stairs and they descended below the city.

"Where are you taking me?" Inuyasha growled out, his eyes narrowing.

"To the Head," Kamen said calmly, unfazed by the roughness of the half-breed's voice. Inuyasha sighed.

It seemed they traveled for an unfavorable amount of time and Inuyasha had long since lost track of how many right turns they took and how many left turns they took. Finally, they approached a long hallway. At the end, large wooden double doors stood, isolated from the rest of the many smaller doors that lined the hallways.

Kamen walked towards it, her boots tapping against the tile that lined the floors. "Come," she beckoned when the half-breed didn't move. "He'll probably know we're coming by now."

If that was meant to calm him, it didn't. He hesitantly followed him, wondering what was lying in store for him. The events that had been happening throughout this week were weighing heavily on his mind. Naraku… Kamen… that dead ogre. He shivered at the thought. Not to mention his damned history class.

Kamen stopped once she reached the door and knocked twice, her fists knocking on the door echoed down the empty hallway. There was a loud buzz and Inuyasha watched as Kamen pushed the doors open and strolled in like she would for tea.

Inuyasha swallowed before following after her, straightening his back, lifting his chin and steadying his gaze with an indifferent expression; he was ready.


	5. Chapter 5

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Five**

* * *

Inuyasha was expecting a stereotypical high-tech office when he walked through the doors, or to be shot the moment he set foot inside after Kamen. Instead, he was greeted with a modest looking office. There was a wall lined with numerous monitors, showing a scene in what seemed like hundreds of different rooms.

"Kamen," a stern, yet strangely gentle, voice sounded from the back of the room, where a simple wooden desk and a chair sat. A man occupied the chair, looking towards them, his fingers interlaced and resting beneath his chin. "You have managed to capture the half-breed?"

"Yes," Kamen said with a curt nod before giving the man a respectful bow. Inuyasha just stared before slightly lowering his head. He felt uneasy and didn't want to take his attentions off either of the hunters.

Inuyasha shifted nervously, darting his golden eyes between Kamen and the new man—the leader of the demon exterminators. The man could probably strike the halfling dead within a minute. He swallowed the lump that grew in his throat and tried his best to remain unanimated.

"Excellent," the man said before turning his attention to the half-demon the two had been discussing. "What is your name, boy?"

"I…" he stopped short when he was about to say his name. He'd made the mistake of telling Naraku. He would certainly _not_ tell it to these two. The exterminators could somehow find him if he gave his name. "Sha."

The two demon hunters exchanged glances. "Your name is Sha?"

"Yes." Inuyasha nodded, stilling his face, not daring to give away any information that would prove he was lying. "My name is Sha."

"Okay, Sha, then," the man said calmly before standing. He towered over the halfling, his black hair slicked back behind him. He moved around the desk to stand before Inuyasha. "I'm glad to see you among us, Sha."

"Uh… yeah…" Inuyasha said uneasily.

"I am the demon exterminator leader. I'm known as Hiro," the leader said calmly. This was Kamen's uncle. He stared up at the man, looking for a trace of familiarity. Although, it was hard to compare the two, seeing as how Kamen was constantly wearing those stupid goggles of hers and usually her metal gasmask as well.

"Um…"

"I trust that Kamen has explained the situation to you?" the man questioned.

"No." Inuyasha glanced at Kamen.

"Well then," Hiro steadied himself, staring down at Inuyasha like a father would an insolent child. "I suppose we'll have to do that, won't we."

But instead of proceeding to tell him about what the 'situation' was, Hiro simply turned on his heel and sat back down in his chair. He stared at Kamen, who gave a small nod. He waved his hand, beckoning them away.

Kamen did as she was told, walking to Inuyasha and grasping his wrist and pulling him out of the room. Once the door was tightly closed behind them, Inuyasha released a small sigh of relief. He was glad that was over.

"Where are you taking me?" he growled out, his eyes narrowing at the back of Kamen's head.

"To Sango and Miroku."

More aliases? Those names sounded normal. Almost, anyway. Sango wasn't a common name anymore, not after the sea demon had come in the eighties and wiped out the cities in the lower half of Japan. The demon had been named Sango. It was considered a curse to be named that now, and it was rare indeed to find someone named Sango.

Miroku, too, was considered a cursed name. A shadow demon, known for manipulating and capturing the mindset of a human, had possessed a man named Miroku, causing him to murder thousands of his own people. Inuyasha had been young when both incidents had occurred. He barely remembered them and people weren't quick to discuss the tragedies.

"And who are they?" Inuyasha growled out.

"They'll explain what's happening," Kamen said coolly, unfazed by Inuyasha's fiery glares directed towards her back.

They weaved through countless hallways, each dimly lit and sterile. Inuyasha found himself becoming dizzy as the multiple corners seemed to melt away to a giant dark haze. He had no idea where he was and he had even littler of an idea as to where Kamen was taking him.

Finally, Kamen came to an abrupt halt in front of a white, sterile doorway, identical to all doors they'd passed sans the golden number on the doorframe. Kamen knocked loudly and took a step back.

It took a moment but finally the door opened, revealing a tall figure. He wore a white coat, the same opt white as the walls and the doors. He looked up from his clipboard and pushed reading glasses up the bridge of his nose, staring at them with dark blue eyes.

Inuyasha blinked slowly as he took in the form of the man. His dark gaze kept switching between the half-breed and the demon huntress before he smiled. "Ah, Kamen, welcome."

Kamen nodded her head curtly and stepped in as the man took a step away, swinging the door open. Kamen pulled him in and shoved him towards a table covered in white butcher paper towards the back of the room. Inuyasha's heart leapt. He was in a doctor's office. This man was a doctor. He despised doctors, especially when they had needles.

Inuyasha swallowed and dug his heels into the titled floors.

"Stubborn little bugger, aren't you?" commented the man as he scribbled something down onto his clipboard and chuckled to himself. Inuyasha sent a withering glare towards him before pushing against Kamen and backing away from both of them, growling. The man made a small clicking noise and shook his head. "Grumpy, too."

"Who the fuck are you?" Inuyasha demanded.

The man seemed surprised and cleared his throat, nodding his head in a small mock-bow. "I am Dr. Miroku. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance…?"

"Sha," Kamen supplied.

"Ah," he said. "An odd name."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "Are you insulting my name?"

"Oh, heaven's no," the man said with a bright smile and wave of his hand. He removed his glasses and tucked them over the pocket of his lab coat. He waved towards the table. "If you would be so kind as to sit on the table, Sha, I'll examine you."

"No one's examining me," Inuyasha snapped out. He heard Kamen sigh and he growled.

"Now, now," Dr. Miroku soothed with another wave of his hand. "No need to get hasty. It will only be a quick look. I must check a few things, Sha. You understand."

"No one's touching me!" Inuyasha commanded.

Dr. Miroku sighed and tucked his clipboard under his arm before digging his hand into the pocket of his lab coat. He extracted a small pellet. He held it up for Inuyasha to see.

"Now then," he said calmly when he saw the furious look on Inuyasha's face. "You can be so kind as to cooperate with my requests, or…" He tossed the pellet into the air and caught it. "I can release this gas bomb, knock you out, and let me have my way with you."

Inuyasha's look was nothing short of mortification. Miroku chuckled to himself at his own amusement. Inuyasha reluctantly retreated to the table and sat on it. Miroku beamed and strolled towards him, pocketing the pellet as he went.

"There, that wasn't so hard now was it?" Dr. Miroku beamed. Inuyasha grumbled something, the majority of the words slurred together as he whispered numerous profanities.

Kamen moved towards the doorway and left, not once looking back at the two men as she exited. Inuyasha watched her go, his eyes narrowing.

"So," Miroku said calmly as he set down his clipboard and pulled on a pair of rubber gloves. "Did Kamen drag you here or did you actual willingly join us?"

Inuyasha pursed his lips. "Why would I willingly join this place?"

"It offers you security," Miroku offered as he dug around his supplies. He pulled out a small light and flashed it in Inuyasha's eyes. He watched as the cat-like pupils contracted, revealing the bright golden orbs more profoundly. "You get paid, you're protected from the government, and you get to see women rampaging around in tight outfits. What's not to like?"

"But you have to wear one, too," Inuyasha snarled out as he eyed the tight exterminator uniform he wore beneath his white doctor's coat. His protective plates were a dark blue and his sash was a dark mauve.

"That is very true," Miroku agreed with a nod. "But I get to cover it up with my coat. I can't say if you'll be so lucky, unless you're a doctor."

"No, I'm just a student," Inuyasha offered.

Miroku nodded his head as he switched to the other eye, examining it as well. "Then you won't be so lucky."

Inuyasha sighed and blinked away from the bright light shinning in his eye. When the light was pulled away, he could see numerous spots.

"So, tell me, Sha," Miroku tried to strike up a conversation. "You're a half-breed, correct?"

"How do you know that?" Inuyasha bristled.

Miroku shrugged on shoulder. "Kamen has been instructed to capture you after reporting to Hiro. My darling Sango overheard and told me. You're becoming quite infamous around here, Sha. The half-breed that appeared out of no where."

Inuyasha grunted.

Miroku eyed him, his dark blue eyes staring up at the half-demon. Inuyasha felt unnerved by the deep gaze. The man, though seemingly a pervert, had the eyes of a wise man.

"Do you have a human form?" Miroku questioned as he lifted Inuyasha's long hair and examined where human ears should have been. Inuyasha nodded. "Astounding, and how did you manage to pull off his human form. Do be honest."

"Um… well…" Inuyasha pursed his lips. "I didn't really 'become' a hanyou, you could say, until a few weeks ago."

Miroku pulled away, his dark blue eyes wide. "What do you mean?"

He quickly grabbed his clipboard and poised his blue pen, prepared to write down whatever it was that Inuyasha was about to say. Inuyasha was growing increasingly uncomfortable and squirmed. His shifting caused the crumbled butcher paper beneath him to crinkle.

"When I was younger my dad… he…" Inuyasha paused as he watched Miroku scribbling down something quickly, his hand jerking around as he wrote. "With the help of Dr. Yomohama my dad found a way to seal my blood, I guess." He furrowed his brow. "It caused my demon blood to become dormant. It wasn't a seal that was meant to last forever, though. I'm a hanyou now."

"Amazing," Dr. Miroku marveled as he finished writing and slipped his pen behind his ear. He shook his head in wonderment. "To have such technology…! Truly amazing." He circled Inuyasha, looking at him at all different angles. "And you are completely unharmed?"

Inuyasha hesitated. "Yes. I think."

"Amazing," Miroku said again.

Inuyasha fidgeted again. "Can I leave now?" he questioned, his eyes darting towards the door. "I want to leave."

Miroku shook his head, an unnerving smile on his lips. "I'm afraid not, Sha. There are still things I have to see about."

He lifted Inuyasha's hand and examined it. Inuyasha tried to pull it away but the man had a firm grip. Miroku would pause momentarily and write something down on his clipboard. Whatever it was that Miroku saw, Inuyasha was blind to it. The half-breed tried to see what it was that the doctor was looking for, but found it to be impossible.

Finally, Miroku pulled away and retreated to the counter lining the wall. He returned a short moment later with a cotton swab. He extended Inuyasha's arm and dabbed at the dip where his forearm met his bicep. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing?" he snapped out.

"Preparing to retrieve a blood sample," Miroku said calmly.

"Oh hell no!" Inuyasha snapped out, his eyebrows furrowing. "No one's touching me with any needle."

Miroku sighed and rubbed his temples. Inuyasha was about as easy to examine as a small, disobedient child… Only this big baby was far louder and stronger than any kid he'd ever seen.

"And why is that?"

"Because…" Inuyasha huffed.

Miroku's eyebrows arched towards his hairline and he placed his hands on his hips. "Okay then…" He had a small dawning of realization. "You're afraid of needles, aren't you?"

"No!" Inuyasha snapped out quickly, a little too quickly.

Miroku smirked knowingly and Inuyasha grumbled about stupid doctors and their needles. Miroku shook his head and moved to grasp his needle.

"It will only be a small prick. You won't even feel it," Miroku soothed and pointed towards the wall. "Just look at the wall and read the poster there. Don't look at your arm."

"I'm not some damned little kid," the half-demon snapped out, his golden eyes burning with his anger. "You don't need to treat me like one."

"Then don't act like one," Miroku shot back as he grasped the half-breed's arm and prepared to draw blood.

"I already know what my blood type is, if you're wondering," Inuyasha growled out as he stared at the wall, his lips pursed. "It's A positive. Now get that fucking needle away from me."

Miroku pierced Inuyasha's skin and the demon stiffened. Miroku smiled lightly. "Though I'm glad you know your blood type, there are reasons for drawing blood from you."

"Going to experiment on me or something?" Inuyasha growled out snidely.

"Oh no, nothing like that," Miroku soothed, completely missing the taunting sarcasm in the half-breed's voice, "It's just for future references; you are the first half-demon to ever join the demon hunters, after all. It's momentous. It's also vital that we collect as much information about you as we possibly can. Mankind only knows so much about the halflings."

Inuyasha turned to look at Miroku as the doctor extracted the needle. The half-breed frowned at the small vial of his crimson blood.

"See that wasn't hard," Miroku bubbled out happily as he returned to his counter and stored the blood away. Dusting off his hands, removing invisible dust, the doctor returned to stand in front of Inuyasha. "Let's see…" the doctor murmured as he stared at his clipboard.

The tests that Doctor Miroku ran continued on for several hours, involving some routine procedures, tedious waiting, and a couple painful examinations.

After what seemed like years to Inuyasha, Miroku wiped his brow and straightened himself. "That's it. We're done."

"Great!" Inuyasha burst out, prepared to dart for his life.

"I'll be leaving then. You'll see the darling Ms. Sango momentarily," Miroku said with a nod as he glanced up at the half-breed before looking at his board again. "I'll have to see you again tomorrow in case there are any questions."

Inuyasha watched as the doctor left the room, leaving the halfling to sit on the butcher paper and stare stupidly at the door he'd just left in. He was only alone for a few moments, however, when a woman walked in.

The first thing he noticed was that she was wearing the same outfit as Kamen and Miroku. Her protective plates were pink, though, and she had a red sash. Her hair was up in a high pony tail and the protective goggles, like the one Kamen wore, were perched on the crown of her head. Her metal gas mask swung around her neck like a large medallion.

She walked towards him and he also noticed that she was taller than Kamen. Why was he comparing her to Kamen? Why did he care?

His eyes narrowed as the woman stopped before him. She crossed her arms and he did the same.

"Your name is Sha, correct?" the woman questioned. Inuyasha gave a curt nod. "I am Sango, second in command of the demon hunters."

Inuyasha squirmed under her intense gaze. "Uh… Okay."

"You're now officially a member of the demon exterminators," Sango said casually, her dark gaze staring at him. Inuyasha blinked in surprise and reeled back.

"You're kidding me, right? What if I don't want to join?" he snapped out.

Sango chuckled and shook her head, her pink lips quirked upwards into a sardonic smile. She looked at him, her amusement flashing in her eyes. "I'm sorry; Sha, but you have no choice."

"And why the fuck is that?" Inuyasha barked out, his anger growing within him as his eyes narrowed.

Sango's light smile unnerved him.

"You're a demon… or at least part demon," Sango said slowly. "It is our responsibility to collect and destroy all the demons, no matter how much we may not want to." Her eyes saddened. "You have one of two choices. You can either join us and become a member of the demon hunters… or we'll have to kill you."

"Those are stupid reasons!" Inuyasha snapped out. "What gives you the right to force demons to join you or die?"

"You're one of the lucky ones. Some don't get a choice," Sango returned, her voice a tiny glimpse at the sadness she felt for such knowledge. "We know you're not evil, Sha."

She backed towards the door. "Think about it."

He watched her leave, his anger boiling within him.

* * *

When Sango had told him to think about, she must have really meant it. He was stuck in the room he was in. The door was locked from the outside and the walls were too thick to bust through. The headquarters was obviously a highly secured area, and he had no choice but to lie low in the room he'd been forced to occupy.

He huffed as he crossed the room, looking very much like a disgruntled tiger at the zoo. His golden eyes narrowed at the ground as he walked, his lips thinned and his brow furrowed.

"Ridiculous," Inuyasha scoffed to himself as he kicked out his foot and knocked against the table he'd been sitting on. He had no idea how long he'd been in the room. There were no windows to see the city outside and there was no clock to tell him how long he'd been pacing. It seemed like forever but it could have very well been only a couple of minutes.

Whatever the case, when he heard the door click open, he wasn't the least bit happy to see Miroku step in, his clipboard in hand.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha groused as he eyed the doctor warily. The said doctor slipped on his reading glasses and skimmed over the notes he'd taken earlier about Inuyasha.

"Just back with your test results," Miroku said breezily, his lips curved upwards into a tiny smile. Inuyasha didn't return it. "And I must say, Sha, you are by far the most fascinating specimen that I have ever come across."

"I'm not a damned experiment," Inuyasha said defenselessly. He didn't like being called a 'specimen'. Miroku nodded his head in understanding.

"Ah, yes, of course. Do forgive me," Miroku said smoothly as he waved a hand towards the table Inuyasha had kicked against the wall. "Sit down, please."

The half-breed did as he was asked and sat down, his fists clenched and grasping his knees. Golden eyes stared nervously at the doctor as Miroku grabbed his own chair and sat down in it, facing the halfling.

Miroku shifted through his paperwork. Time seemed to stop and Inuyasha fidgeted.

"Is there something wrong with me?" he finally demanded to know once the silence grew too long for him.

Miroku's eyebrows arched towards his hairline and he smiled. "No, no. Nothing of the sort!"

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief.

Miroku's smile widened at the hanyou's evident relief. When the hanyou gave him a sharp look he simply shrugged his shoulders. Pushing his reading glasses up the bridge of his nose, Miroku ran his index finger down the paper clipped to his clipboard.

"There are just… strange inconsistencies that I've never seen in demons or humans," Miroku said with a small tap of his fingers against his knees. Inuyasha frowned. "Let me elaborate… it seems that… you've undergone some mutations."

Inuyasha's eyebrows skyrocketed upwards towards his hairline, a look of pure, unadulterated alarm on his face. "What?" he managed to squeak out. "What do you mean?"

Miroku sighed and scratched his forehead with his index finger, a sign of nervousness on his part. Clearing his throat, he sat up a bit in his chair and lifted his head to Inuyasha.

"The drug your father and Dr. Yomohama used had some ill affects on your DNA. That's all I can hypothesize. By concealing your blood, it forced the human blood into dominance." He paused, as if expecting Inuyasha to soak in what it was that the man was saying. Miroku frowned thoughtfully.

"How positive are you that your blood type is A positive?" Miroku questioned hesitantly.

Inuyasha's frown depended. "One hundred percent. I got it checked when I gave blood a couple years ago."

The doctor hummed in thought. "Fascinating."

"What the fuck is so damned fascinating?"

"I've run tests multiple times to make sure it wasn't a fluke, but it seems that you are, in fact, AB positive, Sha."

"What?" Inuyasha's golden eyes stared at Miroku disbelieving. "There has to be some kind of mistake. How did my blood type _change_?"

"Once again, all I have is a theory," Miroku stated calmly. "All I could think of was that your mother had A type blood and your father had B type blood. By sealing your demon blood, your father's blood, type B, was hidden, allowing only your mother's type blood, A type, to be detected. But that should be scientifically impossible." Miroku seemed distressed. "In any case, that's only some of the problems that your body is undergoing."

"What's happening to me?" Inuyasha whispered, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"I'm not exactly sure," the doctor admitted, removing his reading glasses and staring at Inuyasha with his large eyes. Inuyasha swallowed. "But I do know this… your body shouldn't have been forced to suppress such powerful demon blood."

Inuyasha rubbed his forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache pounding beneath his skull. He sighed, golden eyes returning to the doctor's face.

"You still haven't answered my question," he growled.

"Well, apart from the sudden change in blood type," Miroku said calmly, drumming his fingers. "It seems that your heart rate has accelerated, as has your regeneration; which is all very standard for a demon. But, I've discovered something that hasn't occurred in any recorded demons. I believe that it may be as a result of your 'rebirth', per say."

"What?" Inuyasha's curiosity perked.

"Your brain is morphing," Miroku said calmly. Inuyasha's ears twitched towards him. "I've discovered some areas during your brain scan that are shifting and mutating, almost. Your neurons' activity is off the roof, and it seems that it's making up for lost time. Demons have a two percent increase in brain mass than humans, and so it seems that your nerve cells are trying to 'repair' the missing tissue, almost."

"Wow," Inuyasha breathed, unsure what Miroku was saying but realizing that this was a huge breakthrough.

"Yes, wow, indeed," Miroku agreed, and a small squeak of excitement rippled through his voice. "I'm not sure if that was a fluke as well, which is why I'd like to ask you if I could continue to examine you. It won't nearly take as long as the past two days have."

"Past two days?" Inuyasha burst out. Had that much time passed? His mother would be worried sick.

Miroku grinned sheepishly. "Yes, I'm sorry to say. So, will you? That is… if you choose to be part of the D.E."

Inuyasha frowned. "I don't want to die."

Miroku clapped his hands. "Excellent, I can hardly wait."

His enthusiasm was almost amusing, but the half-demon kept his mouth shut. Miroku tucked his clipboard once again under his arm and gave Inuyasha a small wave.

"Well, Sha, I thank you for your cooperation. If you'll excuse me, I must attend to my other patients. Kamen managed to drag in some new recruits, and I'm afraid I'll have to do what I did to you all over again with them." He sighed and shook his head. "It's such a tedious job… but I love it!"

"Erm… you're welcome?" Inuyasha half asked.

"Wait here," he instructed, nodded, and left the room, clicking the door shut behind him.

Inuyasha stood in silence again and sighed. Today had been a very intense day. Er… the past two days had been a very intense two days. He ran his fingers through his hair, allowing his claws to nick against one of his velveteen ears. It twitched away from him.

"This is boring," he muttered to himself. Why was he constantly being left in this god forsaken room? He felt crammed. He wanted to be outside again. He wanted to make sure that he hadn't actually spent two years in the room instead of two days. For all he knew, it could be his summer break and he wouldn't know—the fact that he didn't really sleep anymore kind of threw him off.

As soon as he was about ready to pull his hair one by one from his scalp just to pass the time, the door opened again and Kamen entered. Her mask swung around her neck, but her glasses stayed in place. She held a bundle in her arms. As she entered, she shut the door and tilted her head towards him. She offered a tiny smile.

Inuyasha was slightly thrown off. Besides smirks and dry chuckles, he hadn't seen much emotion from Kamen. And even though it was only a slight curve of pink lips, it was a bit unnerving.

"Here you go," she said, her voice echoing in the almost empty room. She set down the bundle on the table Inuyasha had been sitting on. She turned to him and brushed her black bangs that had fallen loose from her pony tail away from her eyes. "It's your uniform."

She motioned to the skintight uniform she wore. The black hide of a youkai skin didn't seem necessarily appealing to Inuyasha and he frowned thoughtfully. He'd practically be naked save for the skin itself and the coverings over his shoulders, elbows, shins, and middle. Kamen's were blue, and according to the bundle she'd just set down, his would be red.

Her small form stepped towards him and he towered over her. He looked down at her, his lips quirked downwards. "What?"

"We're partners now," Kamen said gently. "Hiro-Sama just announced it."

"Oh…" Inuyasha wasn't sure what to say. Bloody terrific. He was stuck with the block of ice.

"Once you undergo your necessary training," Kamen explained.

"I don't need training!" Inuyasha snorted. He was a black belt. And a demon. He didn't need training.

She ignored him and instead walked over to his bundle.

"Come here," she said with a wave of her hand. The hanyou moved towards her as she pulled things away from one another, separating it out on the table.

When she was done, there was a pile of clothes—his uniform on his right, and on his left was a pile of gadgets (that was the only word he could think of to describe them.)

Kamen lifted the gasmask. "I'll assume you know what this is." He nodded. She set it aside. She continued lifting things. "These are your ninja stars, your ashiko…"

He glanced at the pointy spikes that attached to the bottom of his boots. He doubted that he'd need them.

"Darts, and the fukiya to shoot them with," she explained, her voice weak. "Kakute."

"What's that?" Inuyasha interrupted. Kamen seemed annoyed, if the downturn of her lips was any indication. How he wish he could smell her; he could read moods that way. But she was still wearing something that sealed her scent.

"It's a ring with a string within, dipped in poison," she explained calmly. "You use it to strangle people."

"Oh."

She nodded and continued, yet again. "Here is your communicator, the H.Q. will contact you through it." She handed him a small ear piece. "It will fit over your ears, Sango made sure. These are your gas pellets, flash bombs, antidotes, eye drops, sleeping powder, poisons, silence bombs, purifying salt, ground stoppers, healing patches, and musk."

Inuyasha's head was spinning and his headache was a full blown migraine by now.

All the things she'd just handed him were extremely tiny. "Where am I supposed to keep these things?"

Kamen offered another tiny smile. "Your protective gear. They hold pockets within them specially designed to hold these small packages as well as protect them. You'll have enough room. Be sure to remember where you put everything."

"Right." He nodded.

"Next," she said, a small amount of relief in her voice. "Your protective goggles. Sango wasn't sure if you'd need them. We both agreed that you probably wouldn't, but it was best that you decide for yourself."

She handed him a heavy pair of glasses, exactly like the pair she wore. He put them on.

"There are different settings," she explained. "Normal vision, infrared, UV ray, and night vision. It aids human's eyesight, but we don't believe that it would help you. Also, there are mirrors on the sides that allow you to see behind you. Demons can sense things, though, so usually it's only distracting."

Inuyasha had to admit that it was a fascinating devise but he didn't need it. He handed it back to her.

"Two more things left," Kamen explained gently. She lifted a small choker. "This goes beneath your uniform, wherever it fits. Mine's around my bicep." He nodded, still unsure what it was for. "It's a stealth device. It hides your scent from others. I'm sure you've noticed that you can't smell anything on me."

Inuyasha didn't want to admit it, so he said nothing. He slipped the choker up his arm and beneath his shirt sleeve. It clung to his bicep and stayed there.

"Okay, what's the last thing? Lay it on me." He clapped his hands together.

He felt like he was still in an odd dream. A dream that he wasn't sure he'd wake up from any time soon. And he so wanted to.

Maybe he'd wake up and he'd be a twenty-two year old human on his way to his math class…

If only.

And to think he wanted excitement in his life. He'd give anything for boredom again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Six**

* * *

Kamen fiddled with the last thing she was supposed to give him, her head tilted downwards as if she were afraid to meet his eyes, even if their gaze would be screened through the high-tech glasses she wore on her head constantly.

He tapped his foot impatiently. "Well, are you going to give it to me, or not?"

Kamen sighed and moved forward. Standing before him, she presented what looked like a dinky necklace made by a small grade-schooler. His brow furrowed and he snorted.

"What the hell is this?"

"A rosary," she said slowly, as if expecting him to determine what it was exactly from those two words. When Inuyasha's expression didn't change from the opaque stare, Kamen sighed once again. "It's a requirement for all demons that work for us to wear this rosary."

"What's it do?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as suspicions began to creep up his spine.

"It let's us keep track of you, there's a homing device within it. It's to make sure that… the demons aren't double agents or planning on betraying us," Kamen stated matter-of-factly. Inuyasha nodded his head. It didn't seem too bad. True, he didn't like the idea of being branded like some cattle, but it was either that or death. And he much preferred the former.

"It also binds you to your partner," Kamen said softly. Inuyasha's ears perked up and his eyebrows slammed downward in his classic scowl. She made to put it around his neck but he quickly sidestepped her.

"What do you mean _bind_ me?" he asked skeptically.

Kamen frowned thoughtfully. "It means that I can subdue you should you try to kill me."

Oh yes, Inuyasha certainly did not like this.

"Oh, hell no," Inuyasha snarled. He would _not_ be collared like some animal, at mercy to every whim this woman could have. "You're not going to put that thing around my neck."

Kamen sighed again, for the umpteenth time. "Please don't make this more difficult than it has to be, Sha."

"I will not be treated like some damned wild animal." In hindsight, Inuyasha realized that he had been acting like a wild animal ever since his transformation, but this was neither the time nor the place to be thinking of such things.

Kamen nimbly jumped towards him, poised to throw the beads over his neck, but he, too, dashed aside, pushing off the ground and sailing backwards until his back collided with the wall. He growled darkly at her as she approached and he bent his knees, ready to dart should she come too close.

Kamen, too, was growing annoyed. Her lips were twisted into a grim frown and her muscles were tense. She was preparing to overpower him as best she could. He may be able to overpower her in strength, but she would surely win with fluidity and gracefulness.

As she dove towards him, he leapt away, the rosary nearly slipping over his foot in the progress.

"Stop jumping around!" she demanded, her voice rising. Inuyasha chuckled.

"Hell no."

She snarled again and he could see her eyebrows furrow in frustration. Inuyasha couldn't seem to wipe the smile off his lips. Aggravating the otherwise collected huntress was proving to be far more fun than he'd originally anticipated.

Their dodging game continued on for several minutes, filled with delight on Inuyasha's part and frustration on the taijiya's part. It seemed that Kamen's stamina was wearing down, due to the fact that she was a human, and Inuyasha would win the game of cat and mouse.

"Give up?" Inuyasha taunted, his lips drawing upwards in a wide smirk. One dark eyebrow cocked towards his hairline and he awaited a witty comeback from the demon exterminator, or just a sign of defeat (though he wasn't expecting that any time soon).

"No," she snapped outwards and stomped her foot down in a display for a very childish mannerism. He chuckled at the sigh of a sophisticated and deadly huntress acting like a child. "Get over here, now."

He snorted, his smirk never leaving.

She ran her hand through her hair, tugging at her high pony tail irritably. She had lost her last ounce of patience, evidentially, much to Inuyasha's enjoyment.

"I didn't want to do this…" Kamen sighed deeply. Inuyasha's eyebrows arched as she reached to her small shoulder protector. Slipping it off her shoulder, she pulled out a small gas pellet.

Inuyasha realized what she was doing just as she threw it to the ground and slipped on her gas mask. Purple smoke filled the room and Inuyasha started hacking. His vision grew blurry and he dove forward, grasping his own gas mask and slipping it over his face. His eyes burned and he felt his eyes tearing up.

He continued to hack, and, through the dark mist that shrouded the room, Kamen dissolved into the smoke. Inuyasha wiped his head around. Without a scent, he couldn't pick her out through the smoke, and his blurry vision prevented him from seeing her.

Suddenly, he felt a pulse of magic and a weight around his neck. He whipped around in time to see Kamen, complete with her gasmask, pull her hands away. The rosary around his neck glowed brightly before resting limply against his chest.

They stood silently until the smoke cleared. Pulling down her gasmask, he saw her lips drawn down in a frown.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing she said. Inuyasha snorted. "The next command I say will bind you to me."

Inuyasha nodded his head, succumbing to his fate. There was no use fighting against it now. She'd obtained the upper hand. But he wasn't going to go down like a pathetic mongrel. No sir.

"So do it already," he snarled out and lifted his nose in a rather disgruntled way. He crossed his arms and smirked down at her, his golden eyes glowing. "What are you going to do, tell me to roll over?"

He saw her stiffen and her lips purse. He could almost imagine her eyes flashing with anger.

"Sit," she said calmly.

Inuyasha slammed to the ground, much to the surprise of both people. Kamen had expected just that—a sit. Inuyasha hadn't expected anything quite like what had just happened. It was rather degrading and humiliating.

Well, drat.

* * *

"Now then," Sango said calmly as she paced around the room. Kamen and Inuyasha sat, watching her movement. "Kamen knows of the situation, but we need to get things cleared up with you, Sha."

"Fine, shoot," Inuyasha said, lacking any bite in his bark. He just wasn't in the mood to resist anymore. That, and he had a killer headache from the stupid gas pellets Kamen had unleashed on his poor, unsuspecting demon nose.

"For centuries humans and demons have been in a struggle against the dominate species. Though humans outnumber the demons by a substantial amount, the demons' superior powers can easily knock down humans tenfold to what we can."

Inuyasha nodded his head. He knew about the struggle. He knew about the odds. He knew everything about protecting himself against demons, what their powers were, what hanyou were, and what humans could do to stop them. He knew everything the media had ever said about the struggle and he knew everything he'd ever learned in his classes during junior high and high school. He knew.

"We've discovered that Naraku is the Ringleader. The media has not recognized the Ringleader as Naraku yet because we do not associate ourselves with the media. That is why we are considered an urban myth. My family has been in the exterminator business for centuries, ever since the first demon and human crossed swords." Sango paused and Kamen nodded her head in agreement. Inuyasha jerked his head.

"As an exterminator, you will not reveal yourself to _anyone_. That includes your family and friends. You mustn't tell a soul. You are to remain allusive to your exterminator persona."

"How can I keep it hidden with this jangling around my neck?" Inuyasha snapped out, tugging on the rosary. It pulsed and glowed, taking Inuyasha's tug as a sign of him trying to snap it off.

"It has linked to your demon blood. It will only respond to that. Miroku has informed me that you have a concealment spell. As long as you wear that, the rosary will not be visible," Sango soothed gently, waving her hand in a dismissing matter. "But, you mustn't tell a soul of your identity. Do I make myself clear, Sha?"

"Yes," Inuyasha said with a nod of his head, his eyebrows slanting downwards. He wouldn't be able to tell his mother why he'd suddenly disappeared for the last couple of days. Hopefully she'd understand. Probably not, though. His mother was crazy.

"Our job is to capture the demons and destroy them, or make them join. You are not the only demon with the hunters, Sha," Sango continued. "If you run into any demon that smells like Naraku, I know you have his scent, you are to capture him alive and return him to the headquarters. He will be taken from you there and interrogated. Our main goal is to find Naraku's hiding place and take him down."

Kamen and Sha nodded in unison.

"It is extremely important that you take this seriously, Sha," Sango said, her eyes narrowing. "One wrong move and you could kill someone. Accidents happen. You are unprepared for the field as of now, which is why we've set up a training program for you. It will last one week…"

"I'm not open every day…" Inuyasha said uncertainly.

Sango smiled. "We did a background check, Sha, using your DNA." Inuyasha flared up. Sango knew his identify? She must have recognized the look on his face. "Do not fear, Sha. All our exterminators have aliases that are disclosed information. It's only seen by Hiro, Dr. Miroku, and me. No one will know who you truly are. In any case, we've done background checks. When you are summoned to the headquarters, your devise will sound. It's trained to an ultrasonic frequency that only demons can here, we've made sure."

Inuyasha nodded his head uncertainly. He was starting to grow incredibly uneasy.

"Finally, we have one piece of equipment to give you, Sha," Sango said gently. Inuyasha's ears perked up. "Every slayer has it strapped to their hip, right beneath the uniform in the area where we tie the knot of our sash."

"Okay…"

Sango revealed a small, circular object about the size of a golf ball. Inuyasha's eyebrows arched.

"It's very powerful and only activates on voice command," Sango explained and handed it to him. It was weightless in Inuyasha's hand. "You are to never use it. Ever. It's extremely dangerous and would kill you in the wake. Only use it if there is absolutely no other way. Do I make myself clear?"

" Crystal," Inuyasha said with a roll of his eyes, examining the golf ball.

Sango spent the rest of the day giving him the lowdown on how to enter the headquarters, what his training would consist of, what he'd be responsible for, what his salary would be (he was surprised to learn he'd be paid), and how to properly work with his partner, Kamen. Kamen listed too, nodding along with Sango. She'd heard all the information before.

He went home that night, his exterminator outfit hidden beneath his normal clothes. As he entered his apartment, he saw the red button flashing on his answering machine, proving that his mother had indeed noticed his absence.

The first message was from his boss, wondering where he was. The second one was from his other boss. The third was a warning from his second boss saying that if he didn't clock in when he was required to clock in, he'd be fired. The last two were from his mother.

Sighing, he dropped his hand through his hair and picked up the phone. He spent a good, long fifteen minutes listening to his mother rant about disappearing and not telling her where he'd gone. He made up an excuse that he'd gotten sidetracked while jumping around outside the city.

It wasn't that he hadn't lied before, but not telling his mother about his new job was making him unnerved. But, he'd made a promised and no matter how much he despised this position he was in and his new job, he would not betray his word.

* * *

"Hello," Kagome greeted when he sat down in his class a couple days later. She smiled brightly at him, her blue eyes reflecting the warm sunshine outside the window. Inuyasha returned the smile and rubbed the back of his head nervously. He always felt shy around her, but yet, there was a sense of familiarity to it.

He'd spent the last few days training at the headquarters and he was extremely tuckered out. His body was covered in bruises, his legs screamed whenever he walked or climbed up and down stairs, and he was tired. He thanked his lucky stars for his demon blood being able to heal him so quickly. He actually felt sympathy for any humans who had to endure such torture for the sake of training.

"Ouch," Kagome's voice interrupted his thoughts as she pointed to a large, purple bruise on his hand. He quickly snatched his hand away and covered it up with his other hand. Kagome looked concerned.

"I… uh… bashed my hand against the doorframe," Inuyasha said quickly, his cheeks turning pink. Why was he such a loser around her? And what's worse, he was _making_ himself out to be a loser. He cursed himself silently and hid his hand by pulling his long sleeve over his hand.

Kagome frowned. "How did you manage that?"

"It was dark…?" Inuyasha offered hesitantly.

Kagome's blue eyes sparkled and she laughed, taking what he said as a joke. Inuyasha felt like a loser, but offered her a smile anyway. He watched the emotions dance in her eyes and found himself captivated by their beauty. The blue orbs locked on him and he quickly looked away, his face bright red.

Why was he such a loser around her? There was just something about her that made him feel inferior to her, like he was just a stupid dweeb. And he didn't like it one bit.

They spent the majority of the class exchanging looks; their eyes locking for a moment before one of them quickly looked away. Why hadn't he noticed before how incredibly cute Kagome was? And not in the physical sense either (he didn't deny that she was adorable), but just in her mannerisms. She was sophisticated but yet, at the same time, slightly goofy. He was glad that he sat beside her.

Class sped by for a change, and with Kagome's helpful notes, Inuyasha figured out what it was that his professor was saying about the Meiji era. He breathed a sigh of relief when the class ended and the class got up and quickly exited the lecture hall. He plucked his backpack from the floor and stuffed his notebook and text into the knapsack before zipping it up. Slinging it over his shoulder, he turned around in time to see Kagome pull on her yellow backpack and tuck her green jacket under her arm. She turned to him and smiled brightly.

They began walking out together. It seemed that there was this connection today and neither felt like disappearing and leaving the seemingly magical experience behind. They walked slowly, leaving the building together and walking across the large campus of Tokyo U.

As they approached the crosswalk where they would have to part ways, they glanced at one another. They stood on that corner for what seemed like ages, watching as the cars whizzed past and the sun hid itself behind a cloud, casting a shadow over the city.

"I'll… see you later, then?" Inuyasha offered, feeling his cheeks still stained pink. He looked down at her.

Tilting her head upwards, she flashed him the largest smile he'd ever seen on her face. "Yeah!"

The light turned red and the crosswalk sign turned green. The two parted their separate ways, glancing over their shoulders as they crossed, not wanting to break the eye contact. They continued walking down their respected crosswalks, Kagome's moving in one direction, and Inuyasha's in the other. Once they crossed, they were on opposite sides of the intersection. She turned around completely, smiled, and waved, before darting around a corner.

Inuyasha waved, but it was too late for her to see.

* * *

"This way," Sango gestured with a wave of her hand, leading the uniform-clad half breed down one of the endless hallways. "It's just around the corner."

When he'd reached the headquarters that afternoon, Sango had told him that they'd found something of value for him. Unsure as to what it could possibly be, Inuyasha was far beyond curious. Knowing his luck, though, it would probably end up being another training room. He was sick of training. But he was almost done, Kamen had told him yesterday.

They reached a door and Sango looked down the hall. Seeing that no one was around, she approached the door and placed her hand on a blue pad there. It flashed red for a moment before a strip in the wall slipped open and an optical machine appeared. Clasping onto her head, Inuyasha watched as Sango underwent a retina scan.

Retracting, the light on the door flashed and opened with a loud clang. She turned to Inuyasha with a smile and entered, signaling for him to follow. The door shut behind them and lights flashed on overhead.

They were in what appeared to be a weapon's vault. Thousands of weapons of every kind lined the walls, all different and all more exciting than the last. Inuyasha stared in awe as he saw all the different varieties of weapons.

"Sha," Sango called his name from across the room. With a nimble leap he was next to her. She nodded her head towards the wall full of swords. "There's something here that rightfully belongs to you."

"What do you mean?"

"We did a background check on you, Sha," Sango said gently, her eyes darkening. She leaned over. "Or should I say, Inuyasha?" The halfling narrowed his eyes dangerously. Sango shrugged one shoulder. "Your father disappeared when you were younger, yes?"

"When I was five," he whispered.

Sango nodded. She knew. Of course she knew.

"But what does my dad have to do with anything? He's dead now, he has been for a long time," Inuyasha muttered, crossing his arms. He wished he could stuff his hands into the pockets of his jacket, but of course he was wearing his blasted uniform.

"He was part of the D.E., too," Sango said gently, her voice soothing.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "My… father? He was an exterminator?"

"One of the greatest there ever was," a man's voice said behind him. Inuyasha whipped around and his breath caught in his throat.

A man, looking identical to him, with long silver hair and blazing golden eyes, stood regally in the center of the weapon's vault. His lips were pursed downwards and the stripes on his cheeks proved his demon blood. Inuyasha's mouth went dry.

For one brief, wild moment, Inuyasha thought that his father was standing there. But it might as well have been a ghost.

"Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha whispered out, knowing his elder half brother would hear him, anyway.

He saw Sango give a slight bow to the western lord, but the two demons didn't pay her any mind.

After the disappearance of his father, Sesshoumaru hadn't been far behind. He despised Izayoi with a passion and Inuyasha even more so. After the disappearance of their father—the only thing that kept Sesshoumaru in their house—he'd been gone faster than a spare dollar in the Takahashi household.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha demanded. His brother too wore the outfit of the taijiya. Though, Sesshoumaru seemed so much more majestic than Inuyasha could ever hope to be. It seemed that no matter where Sesshoumaru was, he managed to drag his pompous attitude along with him.

"I am an exterminator like you, young brother," Sesshoumaru said, his voice a void as Inuyasha often remembered it.

Geez, if he'd known that the surprise Sango had for him would be a blasted family reunion, Inuyasha would have preferred the extra training.

"Sesshoumaru-Sama has been working for us for hundreds of years," Sango said lightly. "My ancestors recruited him along with your father centuries ago."

"You and Dad were… hunters?" Inuyasha whispered, finding that his voice was betraying him.

Sesshoumaru nodded once. "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't he say anything?" Inuyasha demanded with his fist clenching. It took all of his power not to dive towards Sesshoumaru and beat the living daylights out of his older brother. How dare he betray their family like that?

"We are bound, Sha," Sango prodded gently, "to never speak our identities, Inuyasha. Even to our families. That way, they cannot get involved in our work and we can protect them. Your father… Sesshoumaru… neither could say of their profession… and…"

"After the accident," Sesshoumaru interrupted Sango. "We lost father and countless other exterminators."

"The accident?" Inuyasha squeaked out.

"Involving the struggle. The demons overpowered our forces," Sango filled in. "At the time, we weren't strong enough. They overtook us in guerilla warfare… and we had to surrender."

"At that point," Sesshoumaru supplied, "the demons didn't care. They were merciless."

"So Dad is… gone?" Inuyasha murmured, staring at the ground.

"He's been gone for years now, Sha," Sango patted his shoulder. "I lost my mother in the fight, too."

Inuyasha bit his lip, feeling his golden eyes faze out as he stared at the wall filled with katana. He never got to know his father. He was gone before he even had a chance to know him. It wasn't fair. He was robbed of a father at such a young age, and apparently the D.E. was robbed of a valuable fighter, too.

"But still… how does this apply to me?" Inuyasha asked, feeling his chest puff out. He wouldn't allow Sesshoumaru to see his weakness.

"Father made something for you," Sesshoumaru stated coolly, and Inuyasha could hear the contempt in his voice. Whatever it was that he was about to get was obviously something that Sesshoumaru wanted as well. Inuyasha was excited.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, brightening. "What is it?"

"It's on the wall there," Sango said as she pointed.

In the dead center of the wall was a worn, ancient looking sword. It glinted in the light, its binding ripping and its scabbard dull and unpolished. It looked mediocre compared to the extravagant swords that surrounded it, but Inuyasha didn't care. It was a gift from his father, the only thing he had to remind him—that, and his blood, but he didn't count that.

He reached for it and grasped it. Sparks flew and he gasped in pain before releasing it. A barrier. There was a barrier on his freaking sword? Of course, that _was_ his luck, after all.

"What gives?" Inuyasha demanded, whipping around to face his brother and his captain.

"You think that you can just walk up to one of father's greatest creations and pluck it from the wall like any other pathetic sword?" Sesshoumaru snorted, his golden eyes staring at Inuyasha expressionlessly. "You're foolish."

"Oh, shut up," Inuyasha snapped. "I don't need your stupid put downs after years of absence, you stupid dog." Sesshoumaru's upper lip curled for a fraction of a moment before he composed himself and returned his face to its customary void.

Inuyasha could sense Sango's growing apprehension to the situation at hand. "There's a protective barrier on the Tessaiga in order to protect it from those that it doesn't belong to."

"Then why's it rejecting me?" Inuyasha snapped out. "It was made for me, wasn't it?"

Sesshoumaru made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a snort. Inuyasha glared at him. "You have not earned the right to wield Tessaiga, whelp."

Inuyasha frowned. Well, at least he knew the sword was called Tessaiga. But he'd be damned if he let Sesshoumaru make a fool out of him. He didn't need a stupid sword, but if Sesshoumaru thought it so important then he wanted it. That and it did belong to his father once. He turned his attention back to the sword. His father had made this sword for him.

"What do I have to do then?" Inuyasha directed his question at Sango.

Sango was about to speak when a large blast filled the air, making both of the demon's ears ring. A large red light bulb in the corner of the room started flashing, soon accompanied by a large siren.

Inuyasha heard Sango's communicator bleep. "There's been a breach in sector twelve!" a voice shouted through the ear piece, so loud that the two demons could hear it easily. "Demons."

Sango nodded, despite the fact that the one speaking to her wouldn't see that, and turned to Sesshoumaru. "Go to sector eight and grab the recruits." Sesshoumaru nodded curtly and left the room with a deep stride that aggravated Inuyasha despite the situation. "Sector twelve is in this area," Sango instructed, staring gravely at Inuyasha. "They're on the other side of that wall. That's why we heard the blast. Contact Kamen and tell her to get down here right away."

Inuyasha fiddled with the frequency on his ear piece. "Hey, Wench?" he shouted.

"I'm on my way," Kamen's voice returned, hardened with determination. He heard her pants and knew that she'd already been running towards sector twelve.

"She's coming," he relayed to Sango, who nodded her head and unlatched the large weapon that accompanied her back.

Moments later, Inuyasha smelt the demons approaching and his eyes narrowed. It only took a few seconds before the wall fell to the force of the demons, their red eyes wide and glassy, and their fangs dripping with venom as they entered the weapon vault.

Sango's knees bent and a moment later she went soaring through the air, spinning the large boomerang-like weapon over her head before releasing it at the demons. It flew through the air, spinning like a giant discus, before slamming into the demons and returning.

Sango caught it easily and threw it again.

Inuyasha stood stupidly until a demon came at him. He leapt back and dug his claws into their shoulders and ripping off arms.

"Try to keep them alive!" Sango yelled over her shoulder as she blocked a large fist with her boomerang. Inuyasha nodded his agreement.

The demon he fought against stomped his foot over Inuyasha's body, flattening him against the ground. Clawing at the demon's leg, Inuyasha opened a compartment in his shoulder pad and extracted a tiny little dart. Holding it between his forefinger and his middle finger, Inuyasha whipped his hand out and dug it into the demon's shin. The demon released a small scream before falling backwards, it's head lolling much like his had when Kamen had used darts on him.

Another demon screamed and came hurtling towards Inuyasha only to be stopped by an arrow piercing its neck. The demon stopped in its tracks and turned to see Kamen, standing with a bow poised in front of her, its string still quivering from the release of the arrow. She bowed her head in acknowledgement to Inuyasha and launched another arrow at the demon.

The demon fell easily, its mouth opened and releasing a barbaric noise from its throat. Kamen moved nimbly to Inuyasha. "What did you do to it?"

"Sleeping powder on the tip of the arrows," Kamen explained. "I won't kill unless I absolutely have to. I missed the vitals purposefully. He'll be fine."

Inuyasha nodded and the two partners launched off in separate directions, attacking the demons that came their way. By that time, Sesshoumaru's recruits had come—consisting of demons like himself, though they lacked scents as he now did, too—and were helping the three taijiya.

He heard a small, female yelp and turned around in time to see three demons slam into Kamen, pinning her to the ground and running a claw down her body, releasing the smallest stream of blood. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and he jumped towards her, his foot poised to knock one out.

They sensed his approach and turned around quickly knocking their spider like arms into his chest. With a large 'oof', the half-breed went flying into the wall of swords, knocking the weapons lose, falling on top of him.

Tessaiga fell into his lap. His eyebrows arched. Well, perhaps for once his bad luck had decided to leave him alone and reward him with his father's sword. This had to be a sign, aside from the back pain.

Standing on shaky legs, he grasped Tessaiga. Instead of being rewarded with an electrical shock, the sword was warm and light in his hand.

He smirked. Yes, luck was finally on his side.

As Kamen struggled against the demons, he drew the Tessaiga from its sheath. He was about to launch into action when he realized a very important factor.

His sword was nothing but a rusty nail. He frowned and stared at the blade. It was chipped, rusty, and didn't appear to have the ability to cut much of anything. His frown deepened as he waved it through the air and didn't feel anything remarkably wonderful.

If this sword was left by his now deceased father, one of the greater demon exterminators, why the heck had the hunters just left it in the weapon vault to rot? The rest of the swords were fine, it was just this one that wasn't seeing better days.

His annoyances towards the sword and his silent moaning about his lack of luck were interrupted, however, when Kamen released one last little gasp of breath before her head lolled to the side.

"Hey, stay away from her!" he shouted out, drawing the attention of the three spider-like demons. He growled at them as he snickered and started creeping towards him. He ran to meet them, his rosary clinking together as he ran and his silver hair flying out behind him.

"Look, the little miko has a pet," one of the spiders snickered as they easily blocked a kick from the half-breed. "And it's a halfling, too, I'd reckon."

Inuyasha snarled, his golden eyes flashing angrily as he tried, in vain, to bring the demons down. The world seemed to stand still as his arm swung out, grasping the hilt of his useless sword.

His blade collided with the demons and, expecting to hear the sound of the blade bouncing off and the spiteful laughter of the demons, Inuyasha was surprised to hear the delicious slice of blade in flesh.

As he drew his sword back and watched the bodies of the three demons fall to the ground, he stared in awe at the large fang he now held in place of the rusty old sword. He stared at it as the rest of the taijiya brought down the rest of the demons, leaving the now destroyed weapon vault in a moment of silence. He stared down at Kamen, who'd roused from her sleep and lifted her head towards him. Her eyebrows rose up towards her hairline in surprise at the sight of the sword.

The entire room stared at his weapon in awe, Inuyasha included.

Well, perhaps his luck wasn't all bad.


	7. Chapter 7

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Seven**

* * *

"Follow through with your swing, you bumbling dolt," Sesshoumaru said coldly as he took a step around his half-breed brother. Inuyasha's grip on his sword tightened and he pivoted, threatening to thrust the blade of the average sword against his brother. Once again, Sesshoumaru side-stepped expertly.

"Come on," Inuyasha groused as he slung the sword around, resting the blade against his shoulder. He frowned. "When can I swing Tessaiga? This sword is stupid. I want my sword."

"Stop whining like a fool," Sesshoumaru snapped back, never once losing the cool monotone of his voice. Inuyasha's brow furrowed in frustration.

Sesshoumaru had taken it upon himself to train his whelp of a? brother, as he so nicely put it, and it was grating on Inuyasha's nerves. He far preferred the hunters that Sango had him train against before. Now, he was stuck with his pompous brother.

After triggering the transformation of Tessaiga, Sesshoumaru had stepped in and announced that while Inuyasha had successfully unlocked the secret to using Tessaiga—which he really didn't know—he still had far too much to learn before he could be worthy of their father's sword.

So, naturally, the humans had deposited Inuyasha's training regime into Sesshoumaru's _capable_ hands and quickly left the two demon brothers alone.

"How can you ever expect to honorably wield Tessaiga if you can't even master the simplest of sword techniques?" Sesshoumaru questioned, a slight, almost unrecognizable tone of mockery in the elder's voice. To the untrained eye, it would seem that Sesshoumaru was just as cold and stoic as ever, but in actuality—and in Inuyasha's eyes—Sesshoumaru was silently mocking him. And it was beyond annoying.

"Oh shut up," Inuyasha snapped back half-heartedly. He already _knew_ of his inferiority. Sesshoumaru had spent the last couple of days making sure of _that._

Under Sesshoumaru's watchful eye, Inuyasha had gotten the hardest training of his life. Even harder than his martial arts training. Partly because it was the most annoying person in the world that was training him and that he really had no idea how to hold a sword. His entire life he'd used his hands for fighting.

"Is that the best you can do, halfling?" the lord questioned, a hint of challenge in his voice. Inuyasha's golden eyes narrowed as one of Sesshoumaru's finely primed eyebrows rose towards his silky silver hairline.

"Look, all I wanted to know is when I can actually start training with Tessaiga," Inuyasha huffed out, crossing his arms after slipping the sword back into its scabbard. Sesshoumaru inhaled slowly, closing his golden eyes as if talking to Inuyasha was the most aggravating thing in the world (knowing Sesshoumaru, it was, though).

"If I had my say, it would be never," Sesshoumaru spoke smoothly, as he always did, his voice clipped and cold. Inuyasha worried his bottom lip with a fang. "But I do not have that power. Yet."

Inuyasha snorted.

"You've been an exterminator for centuries, and the best gig you can get is to train your 'pathetic' little brother in sword combat," Inuyasha laughed. "Who's the pathetic one?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, the cold golden orbs staring down at his fiery little brother before he turned away from the half breed and strolled across the room. Inuyasha watched him go curiously, wondering what it was that his older brother was plotting.

A moment later, his question was answered. Quick as lightening, Sesshoumaru's hand whipped out and a long, yellowish-green strip of energy rushed towards the half demon. Inuyasha yelped in surprise as the thick strip of energy wrapped around his neck and squeezed. He gasped for air as he felt poison slip into his bloodstream.

With a flick of his wrist, Inuyasha was off the ground and sailing through the air. He barely had time to brace himself before he slammed against the ground and stayed there, feeling the energy melt away. The poison pumped through him and he shook, feeling his muscles spasm. He reached lightly for the compartment that held his small bottles of antidote.

"Pull yourself together," Sesshoumaru stated coldly as his foot pushed his hand back to the ground. Inuyasha flinched. "If you need to waste your antidote after such a small dose, then you truly aren't worthy of being a demon hunter." Inuyasha continued to quiver, his vision going blurry. "And if this is the way you react after a simple, slow attack, then you truly are not fit for Tessaiga power."

Inuyasha struggled, but after a few long moments he managed to sit up, rubbing his wrist which Sesshoumaru had stepped on so harshly. He glared up towards his brother, still feeling the ramifications of the poison within him.

"My job is to prepare you for the world outside. You may have been lucky with the security breach the other day, but you are not prepared for the work you will be subject to once your training is complete," Sesshoumaru stated.

Truth was, his training should have been over days ago. But Sesshoumaru had claimed he still wasn't ready, despite the fact that he was in peek physical condition, knew all the codenames for orders, where each sector was (that had been boring), and how to properly maneuver himself outside. But he was having trouble with swordplay. And Sesshoumaru wasn't helping, either.

He stood up on wobbly legs, rubbing his neck where a long, dark green mark had remained on his neck from Sesshoumaru's attack.

"Keh, I don't see what's so terrific about Tessaiga."

"There are powers that Tessaiga possess that not even you are aware of, little brother."

"What kind of powers?" Inuyasha questioned, his curiosity peeking.

Sesshoumaru didn't say anything at first. Then, slowly, "If you do not know now, perhaps you never will. These are secrets that you shall unlock yourself, I presume."

"That is so not fair."

"Life isn't fair," Sesshoumaru returned coldly. It was the closest thing Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru would ever come to a playful, brotherly battle. And the malice in the air could fool anyone into believing they were enemies.

* * *

"Swing faster," Sesshoumaru instructed. "You're going too slowly."

Inuyasha growled as he swung Tessaiga for what seemed like the one hundredth time. Tessaiga had yet to transform from its rusted form, but Sesshoumaru had said that it being in its true form was unnecessary for Inuyasha, seeing as how he truly didn't deserve the sword in the first place. Inuyasha had shrugged such a bias off, seeing as how his brother was just a bag full of hot air, anyway.

"So, what?" Inuyasha questioned after their final training session came to a close. "What do I do now?"

"What you were trained to do," Sesshoumaru stated as if it was obvious. "You follow instructions and regulations."

"Funny, I expected something more profound and philosophical from you," Inuyasha said sarcastically, staring dryly at his brother. Sesshoumaru didn't even grace him with a hint of amusement—not that he expected him to.

"Don't mistreat Tessaiga or I will take it from you," Sesshoumaru warned. Inuyasha shrugged a shoulder. He could totally take his brother (or so he told himself).

"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha dismissed with a wave of his hand as he sheathed Tessaiga into the unpolished scabbard which he wore at his side. "I get it. Now, tell me these mysterious secrets about Tessaiga you keep yapping about."

"Firstly, I do not yap," Sesshoumaru stated coldly, regarding his brother with disapproval. "Secondly, I cannot tell you."

"What do you mean you can't tell me?" Inuyasha snapped out. "I demand to know what the powers are!"

"You cannot command anything out of your superior, whelp. Do not forget that I am the Lord of the Western Lands now."

"Which is ruled by the Japanese government. Congratulations, Sesshoumaru, you're one hell of a leader," Inuyasha said sarcastically, saluting Sesshoumaru with a large smirk on his face. Sesshoumaru said nothing. "You don't even rule these words ? anymore. The humans you ruled follow the government and the demons you ruled are on the wrong side."

Sesshoumaru said nothing. Inuyasha counted that as his own silent victory. Inuyasha one, Sesshoumaru… well, a lot more than one, but it was a small victory. Inuyasha shook his digressing thoughts away.

"We are the last of our bloodline, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru stated calmly, not even bothering with his brother's childish antics. "I am all that's left of the pure bloodline. You are nothing but a halfling of what was once a grand and stable kingdom."

"And now it is nothing," Inuyasha murmured softly.

"And now it is nothing," Sesshoumaru agreed.

Inuyasha frowned and looked away. The shadows of their past seemed to be in the room with them. Sesshoumaru released a small breath that could have been considered a sigh. Inuyasha's lips twisted into a larger frown.

"Smell the wind," Sesshoumaru said after an abrupt silence. Inuyasha whipped his head up and stared at his brother. "To unlock the secrets to Tessaiga, you must smell the wind."

Inuyasha puzzled over this as Sesshoumaru left the room, leaving the halfling to his own musings. He gripped Tessaiga and stared at the ceiling, trying to sort out his turmoil of emotions. Why was it that he felt a sudden surge of hatred for the government? Was it because they robbed his father of his land and their family of their regal bloodline?

Inuyasha sighed and left the room, too.

* * *

The sound of his phone ringing interrupted him from a rare, peaceful sleep. He usually didn't sleep anymore because of his hanyou blood, but lately he'd been very tired. Probably because Sesshoumaru was a slave driver.

Rubbing his eyes and clearing away the foggy vision, he pressed the phone to where his ear had once been.

"Hello?"

"Ah, good morning, sweetheart," came the chipper call of his mother. Inuyasha released the tiniest of groans. He did not want to deal with his mother this morning. It was his day off from training and school. He'd planned on sleeping the entire day.

"Mom… It's…" He checked his clock. "Noon. Go away. I'm sleeping."

His mother made a small noise in the back of her throat that sounded like complete disapproval. "Don't use that tone."

"I'm not using a tone!" Inuyasha protested, sitting up and rubbing his throbbing head. "I'm just saying…!"

His mother made a small 'hmph' noise and he sighed, knowing that his mother was giving him a pouting face through the phone. Rubbing his eyes again he stretched and thumped off his bed.

"Reason for calling…?" he trailed off.

"Does a mother need a reason to call her only child?" Izayoi chirped. Inuyasha sighed and treaded across his room, pulling on some jeans over his boxers and slipping on a shirt as his mother continued to talk. He placed the phone down on the desk as he pulled on his shirt. He could still hear his mother yapping on the other phone line.

Picking the phone back up after dressing completely, he treaded across his small apartment, phone tucked between where his ear should be and his shoulder.

"Mom?" he questioned, causing his mother to pause. "Any _real_ reason for calling?"

His mother made a familiar sound from before.

"Actually, I was wondering if you could pick up some fertilizer for my juniper plant. It's been dying lately." Izayoi finally cut to the point. Inuyasha paused in his steps and tilted his head to the window outside, feeling the warm sunshine trickle in.

"That's odd, they're supposed to last for a while, aren't they?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Yeah, it's just suddenly been dying out. I'm not sure why."

Inuyasha sighed. "Fine, I'll pick some up for you, mom."

His mom was weird.

* * *

"Why, hello, Inuyasha," greeted a voice behind him. The hanyou tensed and glanced over his shoulder at Naraku. The dark man slunk out from beneath the shadows of the building the silver-haired demon had been hoping over. He was late to get to headquarters… but it seemed that he'd be delayed. He couldn't show Naraku where the HQ was without risking the safety of his co-fighters. "Fancy meeting you out here."

"What do you want?" Inuyasha was instantly on guard, his body poised to attack or run away, whichever proved to be most beneficial to him.

"I'm wounded," Naraku said dryly as he circled the halfling. He observed Inuyasha, watching as the golden eyes pierced him silently. "I'm here to see if you'd reconsidered my proposal."

"Hell no," Inuyasha snapped out.

"That saddens me to hear, Inuyasha," Naraku said casually, regarding Inuyasha with his piercing gaze. Inuyasha growled warningly at Naraku. "You see… I don't take to rejection well."

"Get over it. I'll never join you," Inuyasha snapped out. Naraku's eyes moved over Inuyasha's body, covered by the youkai hide of his taijiya uniform. Naraku's eyes tilted back upwards towards the half breed's face.

"I can see that you went and joined the other side."

"I was forced to," Inuyasha murmured.

The Ring Leader's eyes moved to the rosary hanging around the demon's neck. "Ah, they've tagged you, have they?"

Inuyasha inhaled and exhaled, feeling his fury boil within him.

"What a shame. They had to force you into it, didn't they?" Naraku slunk towards Inuyasha, standing dangerously close. Inuyasha tried to inch away. Naraku chuckled. "We have miko on our side, too, you know. We can easily remove such a pathetic collar."

Inuyasha swallowed. He'd do anything to be free from Kamen's grasp. All ready he'd been sat a number of times, and it was proving to be a restriction on his freedom. But he couldn't join Naraku. Naraku and his demons were evil, and he couldn't succumb to that natural demon evil.

He rubbed his head.

He didn't want to think that all demons were evil, because of his own demon blood. His father was a demon, but he'd been on the good side. He'd been a good guy. But he was a demon. The social expectations from society weighed heavily on his mind. His entire life he'd grown knowing that demons were evil. But he was one now and he hadn't changed save for his blood.

"I know what you're thinking," Naraku's slick voice smoothed over his ears. Inuyasha cringed. "Those demon exterminators and those blasted humans have crammed into your head that being a demon means you're evil… that I'm evil."

Inuyasha didn't dare answer him.

"I know how you feel, Inuyasha, for I am in the same boat. We are more similar than you think," Naraku murmured, his red eyes flashing in the darkness. "We're stuck on a sandbar, unsure which side of the thriving river we belong on."

Inuyasha's mouth went dry and his widened eyes stared at Naraku. Naraku chuckled quietly.

"Join us, Inuyasha, succumb to your demon nature. Don't allow those pathetic demon hunters to gloss over the truth. We are evil beings, we lack human emotions. You are no longer truly human. You are a demon, with demon blood within you. Evil blood. Satan's blood."

"You're wrong," Inuyasha snapped out, throwing a punch at the Ring Leader, who easily dodged it. "I'm not evil. I'll never join you!"

"We'll see, Inuyasha," Naraku laughed as he sunk back into the darkness from which he'd come.

* * *

He scurried across the grounds of his school, his feet pounding against the pavement. He could very well be there in a flash, but the moderate amounts of students just loafing around prevented him from doing anything spectacular. He sighed and brushed black hair from his lavender eyes as he dodged around a couple holding hands.

He skidded across the slightly wet surface of his school—it had rained the night before—and dashed into the school. Checking the clock on the wall he slowed his pace down. Despite his attempts to remain slower than a true dashing pace, he'd still made it to the building his class was held in with time to spare.

Walking towards the door, he slipped it open and saw only a few students had made it to the classroom before him. He was thrilled to see that Kagome was one of them, her head bowed in a book, her feet crossed at the ankles and tucked under her chair. He walked towards her, feeling his palms begin to sweat.

Truth was, Kagome was becoming the highlight of his week. Between countless training sessions with Sesshoumaru, which had finally ended, and having to endure Kamen's ice-block nature, seeing Kagome in his history class every week filled him with immense joy.

He sat down next to her, and she titled her head up, glancing at him. She was happy to see him and flashed him a large, appreciative smile. "Hello," she chirped out happily, marking her book and putting it down. "You're early today."

He glanced at the clock on the wall. Twenty minutes early. He really had made a record getting here. He shrugged one shoulder. "Maybe I felt like coming early today?"

Her smile never wavered and he felt his cheeks begin to redden from her unaltered attentions. She was really a nice girl, and after really looking at her he could see that she was really pretty. He hadn't realized it when he started this course, but Kagome really was a nice person all around.

"Well I'm glad," Kagome said, her smile still spreading her lips apart. He saw her blush and felt his heart thump. Then he silently cursed himself because he was acting like a ridiculous schoolboy with a stupid little crush. "Being here so early can really be boring."

"Yeah…" he agreed softly, glancing over her shoulder to see that the other occupants of the room were sleeping, reading, or taking notes. Their hushed tones were the only thing that could be really heard in the classroom, and apparently they were the only ones paying attention to those hushed tones.

"Are you cold?" Kagome questioned, pointing to the scarf around his neck. Inuyasha's hand quickly covered the fabric, as if afraid that it'd disappear otherwise.

He nodded a little. "Yeah, I have a bit of a cold. I was out last night and the rain got me." He faked a small sniffle to try and convince her. It seemed to work because she nodded her head. "I'll be fine in a couple days, don't worry."

Kagome looked like she wanted to say something but she closed her lips and nodded. Truth of the matter was, Inuyasha's neck was still marred by Sesshoumaru's poison attack and the scarf his mother had given him for his birthday last year was the only thing he could wear to cover up the hideous, dead skin on his neck. He was glad that Kagome accepted his sick story and didn't question it further.

"Um… tea can make a cold feel better?" Kagome offered, glancing at him, her blue eyes shinning apprehensively. He felt red creeping up his face with that look.

"Yeah… it does…"

"There's a Starbucks down the street…" Kagome ventured, then trailed off, feeling her face burst into flames. She ducked her head, biting her lower lip. Inuyasha's face mirrored hers.

He waited for her to say something but she didn't.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I'll go there after class…" he murmured. Kagome nodded. He cleared his throat. "Um… do you want to come with me?"

She peeked up at him through her black bangs before lifting herself completely and locking eyes with him. With their faces both blushing they were truly the epitome of high school crushes. It was enough to make any sane person go crazy with how ridiculously innocent the two were acting.

"I'd… I'd like that," she finally answered him, smiling shyly. He released a small breath of air he didn't know he was holding. He nodded his head and she giggled sweetly.

* * *

The tiny bat demon was batted away easily with a small whip of miko energy from Kamen's hand. The glowing pink appendage died out like a flickering light bulb before she released a tiny sigh and rubbed her shoulder—the place the bat demon had attacked her before they could retaliate.

"Are you okay?" Inuyasha questioned, eyeing the place Kamen rubbed her arm. She shrugged her other shoulder. Tightening his gasmask, he glanced over the side and down the building they were perched on. Down below there was a murky green smoke, caused by the skunk demons that invested the area, contaminating the water.

Kamen and Sha were just outside the city, in a small suburb of Tokyo. The demon exterminators had been hired by the board of home owners to get rid of the problem. Of course, they hadn't known it was really the exterminators. They were, after all, an urban legend. The home owners had tried doing it themselves, but the skunk demons had simply grown in size and migrated to their water supply. The occupants didn't want their water to be contaminated.

"Let's just get this done quickly," Kamen muttered. "Why the hell are there bat demons around here?"

Inuyasha was going to answer her but figured that the question really wasn't directed at him so much as it was more of a muttering on her part. He rubbed the back of his head and looked down towards the disgustingly green smoke.

"Okay, let's go," Inuyasha walked towards Kamen and scooped her up into his arms. The first time he'd done this, he'd been blasted with miko energy and nearly lost his demon persona, but luckily he'd dodged around it mostly. Kamen had grown used to being handled like a rag doll by the half breed at this point and didn't really protest.

With a nimble jump, he landed among the gas. Both checked their gas masks to make sure they truly were sealed tightly around her mouth and nose before proceeding. Despite the masks, both could smell the disgusting scent of skunk in the air.

They crept along the walls, their bodies flattening against the hard brick. Kamen led the way while Inuyasha brought up the rear. Gripping her bow, Kamen peeked her head around the edge and whipped it back. She turned to him and signaled with her hands that there were demons behind the wall.

He nodded. He'd known because he'd smelled their approach. He punched his fist into his other hand. Kamen didn't move and he figured that she was fixing him with a blank expression.

Rolling his eyes, which she could see because he didn't like the goggles, he leaned over and whispered quietly in her ear, "They're lower class. Easily beaten."

Kamen nodded her head and pulled an arrow from her quiver. Unlatching a compartment in his guards, Inuyasha produced the small container of sleeping potion. Opening it for Kamen he allowed her to dip the arrow's tip into the white powder before he quickly closed it and slipped it back into its proper holding area.

Truly it took quick work to get the skunks into a deep sleep. The two partners made quick work to tying up the demons, as they slunk into her human forms, and called Sango. Telling her that the demons had easily been apprehended Sango relayed that someone was on the way to pick up the two captives in attempts to pump them for information. There was a possibility that they worked for Naraku or had information on Naraku.

The two jumped from rooftop to rooftop, getting as far away from the scene as possible should the cops decide to show up and investigate the matter themselves. They flopped down on top of a tall building in Tokyo. It was dangerous to go right to the headquarters in case another demon from the area had decided to follow them. Until then, they were to lay low.

"Heh," Inuyasha chuckled to himself after a long moment of silence. Kamen turned her head towards him and unlatched her gas mask.

"I hardly think this is the time to be laughing," she returned, her lips quirked downwards.

"Oh please, spare me your nagging," Inuyasha said with a roll of his eyes. He didn't like Kamen's way of condescending him with her voice. He was growing used to her coldness, but it aggravated him due to the fact that she was acting far too much like Sesshoumaru. And anyone who acted like Sesshoumaru was obviously a pompous and stupid moron.

"I'm just saying that you mustn't draw attention to us, if you start laughing it could alert some demons," Kamen supplied, trying to keep her voice even and not snap at her partner.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes again, kicking his legs out and stretching. "And your stupid little voice won't? Please, it would make anyone want to cry."

He could just picture her eyes narrowing and he smirked at her as she clenched her fists and he saw a miko aura begin to surround her.

"Oh, Wench, remember that we don't want to draw attention to ourselves and using your miko powers would certainly alert the demons in the area," Inuyasha returned sarcastically, his smirk never wavering from his lips.

The miko energy died. She stiffened and he could almost feel her deadly glare directly towards him. This was fun.

"You know, it's kind of funny," Inuyasha said with a laugh. Kamen didn't say anything but he knew she was curious about what it was that he thought was 'funny'. "You're a miko right?"

"A beginning one, at least," Kamen whispered, unsure what it was that Sha was getting at.

He snorted at that. She was powerful enough to purify him.

"Well, I'm just saying that… aren't priestesses supposed to live sinless lives? You kill demons left and right… maybe not right away, but if they don't have information about Naraku or don't want to join them, you're the one who kills them."

Kamen stiffened. He knew she was. She was the only one in the D.E. that had any form of miko powers, apparently. According to studies, studies Inuyasha was afraid to learn where the results had come from, purifying a demon was the least painful way out of all the ways to kill them.

"You're a miko but yet… you're still willing to destroy other lives, I just find it kind of funny," Inuyasha said casually, staring at his claws.

He glanced back at Kamen to see her quivering. Seeing as how he couldn't see or smell her emotions, he figured she was shaking from anger and preparing to lash out at him.

What he wasn't expecting, however, was the tiniest little sob. He stiffened up instantly and his eyes flew wide open. Was Kamen… crying?

"How dare you," she gritted out, standing up with her shoulders squared and her fists clenched. Inuyasha stood up, too, only because he was afraid of what she'd do if he were sitting down. "How dare you say those kinds of things to me!"

"W… Wench, relax," Inuyasha waved his hand around, trying to soothe the girl. She didn't hear any of it as she marched towards him.

As she approached he saw a single tear drip down the side of her cheeks and he stiffened more. He hated seeing girls cry, even if he'd never seen her complete face.

"I never _asked_ to do this," she snapped out. "I never _wanted_ to do this. How can you stand there, you… you! How can you stand there? You will _never_ know true pain as I have. You will _never_ understand what it's like."

She was screaming at this point and he looked around, almost certain that the demons were charging towards them by now. But the city was deserted, save for the stray cars that dotted the streets.

He turned his attention back to Kamen, whose head was bowed and her shoulders were heaving.

"I never wanted this job! I never asked to be like this!" she wept out, trying fruitlessly to reign in her emotions. "I never wanted to be… this way."

She dropped to her knees and pounded the roof for a moment before falling still. Inuyasha, with his eyes wide, knelt beside her.

"Hey…" he murmured, trying to draw her attention to him. She refused. "Hey…" he tried again.

"What?" she snapped out. The sound of tears in her voice was gone.

He sighed. "Look… I didn't mean to make you upset. Please, I didn't mean to hurt you." He tried to coax her to stand up but she wouldn't. "Hey, come on…"

"Save it," she snapped out. "Like you really care."

He pushed his silver bangs from his eyes. "Wench…" he sighed. "You're my partner. Like it or not, I'm stuck with you. Plus, I'm chained to you."

He fingered his rosary.

"But… I don't want to see you like this. You're strong, yes?" Kamen meekly nodded her head. "Okay, then. Now stand up." She did so. "I won't say something like that again, I promise."

* * *

"Mom?" Inuyasha questioned as he knocked on his mother's apartment door. He frowned, holding the bag of fertilizer under his arm. It had taken him a couple of days, but he'd managed to get his mom some fertilizer for her blasted juniper plant. He tapped his foot outside the door and glanced around, trying to figure out why it was his mother was taking so long.

"Mom?" he asked again as he slipped her unlocked door open. Peeking his head in, he felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He frowned darkly and opened the door completely. "Mom?"

Dropping the bag of plant food on the ground he ventured in his mom's house, not bothering to remove his shoes. He checked the apartment, searching for a sign of his mother.

"Did you go out without bothering to call, Mom?" Inuyasha whispered to himself as he checked around for a sign of her keys or shoes missing. They were both still here. His worry began to creep around him. "Mom?"

As he turned a corner to his mother's small sitting room—the place where he'd undergone his transformation—he realized something was seriously wrong. The glass to his mother's house was broken, shards of the broken glass sprayed across the carpet.

His fear seized him as he saw the shredded curtains and knocked over furniture. His mother had struggled, but whoever had taken her had won the upper hand.

"Mom!" he called out, as if hoping she'd still be around. He dropped down to his hands and knees, mindful of the shards of broken glass, and sniffed around, searching for scents. He detected his mother's juniper scent instantly, his eyebrows furrowing as he detected another scent. He knew that scent.

He stood up, his golden eyes blazing. "Naraku."

"Hm, I'm impressed," a voice murmured behind him. He spun around, his golden eyes locking on the Ring Leader instantly. He sat, perched on his mother's counter, observing him with his dark red eyes. "You found my scent much quicker than I'd expected."

"You bastard!" Inuyasha snapped out, his fist clenching. "What did you do to her?"

"Such little faith in me, Inuyasha?" Naraku questioned. Hearing the leader of the demons speak his real name sent shivers down the half breed's spine. That, and the Ring Leader now knew what his human form looked like. He felt dread encase him in a deadly pall. "Rest assured that Miss Izayoi has befallen no harm… yet."

"You bastard," Inuyasha growled out.

"May this be a lesson to you, Inuyasha. Do not cross me."

"Naraku! Give her back!" Inuyasha screamed out as Naraku began to retreat. He raced after him, jumping off the balcony, while ripping off his concealment spell, and trying to run after him. Naraku was already long gone and he slammed to the ground. "Naraku! Give her back! _Give her back!_"

But Naraku was gone, and his mother along with him.

* * *

Inuyasha punched at the punching bag furiously, his claws digging into the soft fabric that held the bag up. The material spilled out, but he paid it no mind; he continued punching and shredding at the training device. How _dare_ Naraku take his mother away from him? His mother had nothing—absolutely _nothing_—to do with this and he'd dragged her into it. Izayoi hadn't even known that her only son was a demon exterminator, walking the path of his elder brother and father.

"Sha," soothed a voice and he glared at Kamen, who stood on the opposite side of him, watching him silently. "You cannot allow yourself to be controlled by such anger. It will overcome you and rip you apart."

She sounded genuinely worried, but he was beyond the point of caring. "Shut up!" he snapped out. "How dare that stupid bastard take her away from me?"

"Sha… You must calm yourself down. You'll hurt yourself eventually," Kamen scolded, frowning at him. She grabbed his hands and her hands pulsed with warm miko energy. He felt the warm white light surround him for a moment before fading away like an ocean's wave. He sighed, feeling a small, artificial calm overtake him, caused by Kamen's miko powers.

He rubbed his head and plopped against the wall, sliding down the wall until he sat on the ground. "That bastard. If I'd known he would have taken my mother…"

"There was no way you could have known," Kamen soothed, sitting down next to him. He glanced at her and shook his head, bowing his head and hiding his emotional face from her view.

"I… know how you feel," Kamen supplied hesitantly, as if unsure whether to relay her information to Inuyasha. "I lost my father. A demon killed him."

"How long ago?" Inuyasha murmured.

"I was younger then. Fifteen, maybe?" Kamen sighed. "It was terrible. The demon killed him and almost killed the rest of my family. I got to watch." She seemed to become overcome with emotion because she clenched her fists and her lips became pursed. "I got to watch and I couldn't do _anything_ to stop the demon."

"Wench…" Inuyasha murmured. "You couldn't have done anything. You were young."

Kamen nodded her head quietly, not saying a word.

They sat in silence for a long moment.

"I just… I can empathize. I lost my father because of demons… and your mother…"

Inuyasha stood up abruptly and glared down at her. He knew where she was coming from, but, he didn't need to hear it. "My mother is _not_ dead."

Kamen stared up at him, and he could see from her body language that she was hesitant. She shifted and he felt her aura pulse. He'd grown better at reading her aura pulses to determine what it was she was feeling, seeing as how he couldn't see her face a majority of the time. She didn't believe him but didn't want to crush his small hope of his mother being alive.

He clenched his fist. "I will save her. I will kill Naraku."

* * *

Hours later, after he'd left the HQ and Kamen's silent pitying looks, Inuyasha walked slowly down the sidewalks. He didn't feel like running. Besides, the cops were out on patrol tonight due to a recent demon attack in the central part of the city. He opted to take the subway home.

The train spent a good fifteen minutes over the city instead of underground. He much preferred it that way. It offered the illusion that he was outside, feeling the wind in his hair. He wondered idly how he ever survived in such a crowded city like Tokyo up until now.

He sat on the train, alone in his compartment. He sat, his body hunched over and his fingers interlaced with one another. He stared out the window, watching the sun sinking towards the horizon. He sighed lightly, feeling his apprehension gripping him.

What if his mother wasn't alive? How could he save her when Naraku was impossible to find unless he wanted to be found? He growled to himself. He'd make Naraku pay for dragging his mother into this. He would pay dearly. And if anything had happened to his mother under Naraku's care, he would make Naraku's life a living nightmare, for sure.

As the train bumbled along on the train tracks, heading towards his neighborhood, the sun slunk behind the buildings and the horizon far beyond. Something tickled the back of his mind and he wondered why that was so.

The disgusting scents of the train seemed to dissolve away as he thought of his mother. What was she doing now? The brilliant sunlight seemed duller now, knowing that his mother was somewhere, perhaps dead or dying, and he could do nothing to stop whatever Naraku did to her.

He cursed Naraku's name several times. The train stopped to pick up passengers, but they didn't enter his compartment. He was glad for the solitude, mostly. He didn't want to be around others. He brooded silently, staring out the window with his lips pursed.

As the sun sunk beneath the horizon and shrouded the city in darkness—before countless city lights screamed to life—Inuyasha felt a pulse run through him. He gasped and stood up quickly, darting to the window and staring outside.

No moon.

He felt the change grip him like a metal vice. His first new moon. He remembered his mother's warning about losing his powers. He gripped the seat as he felt a pulse of pain scream through him. His body was reacting to the new moon.

The pain felt just like the first time he'd transformed. His body wasn't used to these transformations so obviously there would be pain. Would it always be like this? Inuyasha wasn't sure, but he didn't want to find out.

He gasped for air and fell to the ground, twitching on the dirty floor of the subway train. The train dipped underground, covering him in darkness. He gasped for air as the ripping pain coursed through him and his senses numbed.

In the wake of his transformation back to a weak human, he felt feeble and vulnerable. How had he survived without his demon powers?

It was a strange sensation having all his senses ripped unceremoniously from him. He was a human again, at least for the night. He was weak again, he realized slowly. His senses were dulled and he couldn't see anything in his train. A moment later the lights flickered on, and he was shrouded in light. But, unlike if he were a hanyou, the lights didn't burn his eyes. Instead, the gentle hum of the fluorescent lights above sent him a small comfort.

Maybe being a human, at least for one night, wasn't so bad?

Fifteen minutes later, after he'd left the train, his mind changed again. With his senses gone, he felt alone and lost in the big city he once called his home. He stared around, bewildered. The sights and sounds were significantly different now that he could no longer feel them in demon precision.

He began walking home. He could no longer jump. He was no longer strong. He was weak. A weak and pathetic human. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and shifted his lavender gaze downwards. Kicking a rock across the sidewalk, be began the long trek to his home.

His silent endeavor was interrupted, however, when a clawed hand slunk out, grasped his shoulder, and pulled him into the alleyway beside him. He yelped in surprise and slammed against the brick.

"You smell like a half breed…" the demon hissed, cat-like eyes staring at him in the darkness. A large mouth, brimmed with yellow fangs, opened in a large impish grin. "But you are a human. How delicious. I've grown terribly hungry for human flesh…"

Inuyasha squirmed, trying to get out. He kicked and fought, trying to put his human hand-to-hand skills to the test, but the demon knocked him aside. It wasn't that he was weak as a human. On the contrary, he'd been rather strong for a human before his transformation. Just the demonic powers he'd acquired had pampered him, in a way, and he was unused to the decrease in ability. In short, he was very much screwed. But that was his life. That was his luck.

"Let go of me, you son of a bitch," Inuyasha snapped out, trying to kick himself away from the demon. The demon chuckled and slammed the hanyou-turned-human against the wall. He gasped in pain and felt a throbbing pain spread from his head downwards. He felt blood drizzle down his back and knew that he'd cut his head.

A flash of white light erupted from their left. Inuyasha and the demon both turned their heads in time to see Kamen, her bow poised and the string quivering. "He said let him go."

Inuyasha's eyes widened and nearly called out her name before realizing that he was in his human form. Kamen wasn't supposed to know his identity, so she wouldn't. He stared at her instead, wishing he convey his gratitude to his partner. Kamen drew another bow from her quiver and pointed it at the demon.

The demon tensed. "What are you doing here, wench?"

"Release him," she said gravelly. The imp did as it was told and dropped Inuyasha from its large, withered hand. Inuyasha dropped to the ground, crumbling like a rag doll. His hand went for his head, bleeding.

"I've done as you told, now release me we—!" The demon's speech was cut off as an arrow pierced his skin and he burst into a thousand tiny white bits. Inuyasha had just witnessed the purification of a demon. He'd seen it happen before, but not so close.

He turned his attention to Kamen as the huntress approached him. He crept away, staring at her with wide mauve eyes. "You're a…"

"Demon hunter," she supplied. Inuyasha silently congratulated himself on a job well done in the acting department. He should have been an actor. But he was digressing from the real point here.

"You saved me," Inuyasha marveled.

She smiled at him and offered a hand. He stared blankly for a moment before taking it and allowing the huntress to help him out. She'd never done that when he was a half-breed. Did even Kamen regard him as evil when he was a silver-haired dog demon?

"I did. It's what I do," the girl agreed, her lips still curved in a smile.

"Thank you," Inuyasha quietly spoke, unsure how to respond to the huntress. It was odd acting like he didn't know her when he did. But she didn't seem to realize or recognize him, which was fortunate on his part. He didn't like the idea of Kamen knowing his identity without him knowing hers first.

"Be more careful," she said pleasantly before taking a step back. "I must go now."

"Um… right… bye," he spoke. She was gone before he finished his sentence. He sighed lightly and continued his journey home.

Why was it that Kamen treated him differently when he was a human? Was Naraku right? Did everyone regard him as an evil being? Satan's being? At first he'd liked to think that not all demons were evil. But even Kamen treated him differently depending on his form.

Was Naraku right?


	8. Chapter 8

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Eight**

* * *

He walked home slowly, his lavender eyes darting from left to right. He was aware of his vulnerability now, and he'd just had Kamen save him, so naturally he felt a small ping in his pride. Having his ego busted wasn't something he particularly enjoyed along with loss of senses. It wasn't pleasant at all.

He reached his home and slunk inside, sinking into a chair and staring at the wall blankly. His mother was gone. Naraku had taken her. He felt anger grip him like a vice and his vision temporarily blurred with his fury before he regained control of himself and soothed out an uneven breath of air.

He bowed his head and rubbed his temples. What was he going to do? Naraku implied that his mother wasn't hurt—for now, at least—so what could the Ring Leader possibly want with him? It was aggravating to think about, and the farther he thought about it the more grey areas seemed to appear.

Naraku's earlier taunts about his hanyou blood came back to haunt him, too. It always seemed easier for him to push it to the back of his mind and not think of it, but the truth of the matter was that he was partly demon. He knew that he was the same person as he always was. But, in this time of war, could there be such thing as a shade of grey?

The phone ringing startled him and he crawled towards it, grasping the handle and holding it to his ear, which was in its natural place for a change.

"Hello?"

"I didn't expect you to answer," smoothed out Naraku's honey-coated voice. Inuyasha was instantly at attention and he would have let loose a growl, had he not been a human. "Don't get uppity with me, Inuyasha. Listen very carefully."

He felt Naraku's eyes piercing his back and knew that the Ring Leader was watching him from somewhere outside, to make sure that he didn't do anything. He felt increasingly uneasy, especially as a human. Naraku could come in and kill him if he so chose, but the dark leader did nothing. He only breathed on the other end of the phone.

"I'm listening," Inuyasha finally murmured.

"Ah, so the hanyou does have a brain," Naraku's drawl whispered over the phone, taunting the human man. Inuyasha felt his fist clenched but didn't dare bark at the man on the other line. He needed to find some clue, some hint, that his mother was okay and where she was hidden.

"Just tell me where she is."

"And ruin all my fun?" Naraku chuckled as if Inuyasha had just made a joke. "Don't underestimate me, half-breed. I don't take lightly to people trying to control me." He chuckled again, as if this conversation was the funniest one he'd ever experienced. Inuyasha felt his sickening laughter grating on his nerves. "So," he drawled out. "I suggest you sit patiently and don't act so high and mighty."

Inuyasha's fist tightened and he felt his throat fill with bile. It was as if he were in high school all over again—talking to a teacher who aggravated him to no end but not being able to express his utter hatred for fear of punishment. In this case, his mother was on the line. He bit his lip, wishing that this wasn't happening.

"Tell me where she is," he ordered, his lavender eyes narrowing as he turned around and stared out the window. Wherever Naraku was, he was facing him now, he was sure of it. And whether or not he could see the Ring Leader, he knew that Naraku could see him. His dark look could tell anyone that he was ready to fight if necessary—even in his senseless, weak human body.

"Didn't I just say that I don't like taking orders from underlings?" Naraku whispered, his voice dripping with venom.

The line went dead.

Inuyasha's teeth clenched and he glared out the window, wishing that his dark look would pierce Naraku and show the Ring Leader his deeply entrenched anger.

* * *

"It's raining," Inuyasha told Kagome as they left the building their class had been held in. Kagome nodded her head numbly, staring at the large raindrops that splashed against the pavement before them. She buttoned up her jacket and glanced up at him, her grey-blue eyes hesitant.

They began moving, Inuyasha opening the umbrella he'd brought with him. Students who'd sadly forgotten the said object dashed across the courtyard, stray bits of newspaper or their backpacks over their head as they searched for solace from the onslaught of rain.

Inuyasha stretched out his arm, shielding Kagome under the umbrella. Kagome beamed up at him, silently offering her thanks. They walked slowly, trying to keep under the umbrella. Inuyasha didn't really care if he got wet—it's not like he could get sick—but he did so to stand closer to Kagome.

He knew it was a foolish thing to do—being close to Kagome. Not only was he a demon hunter, one who was sought after by other demons, but his mother had gone missing. Naraku could be watching him at this very moment, plotting to feed on Kagome and take her away, too.

He sighed lightly, mulling over the bad luck that saturated his life. Things had been normal before his birthday. The turning of another year seemed to have sent his world into a spirally pit of… well, he couldn't think of a good enough word to describe how much his life sucked, but he supposed there was a word out there. In any case, his life was not looking up.

His nadir demeanor must have breeched Kagome's mind because she kept looking at him, her blue eyes concerned. They were approaching the corner where they passed down the two different crosswalks. Today, Inuyasha knew that he should be as far away from people as possible, but at the same time he didn't want to leave Kagome behind.

"Thanks for the umbrella," Kagome spoke as they stopped at their corner, waiting for the lights to turn so that they could cross the street. Her blue eyes focused on the long strip of sidewalk beyond that would ultimately lead to her home. "Though I suppose it won't be much help now."

"Take it, I don't care," Inuyasha muttered, grasping her hand and plopping the handle of the umbrella into her open palm. "I don't really need it." He felt his dog ears turning red from the blood rushing to his face. Kagome couldn't see these ears, though. He checked his sealing just to make sure. He cleared his throat. "I don't want you to get sick."

"I couldn't do that." Kagome banished the idea with a wave of her hand, her lips quirking downwards. "I don't want _you_ to get sick, either."

'_Like I can get sick. I'm a hanyou, girl,'_ he thought snidely to himself. But he wouldn't voice this opinion for obvious reasons. Inuyasha didn't need a girl running down the sidewalk, screaming, when he had his own problems to deal with.

"I insist," he grouched. Kagome rolled her eyes and he felt a growl rise in his throat which he quickly swallowed. Kagome hearing his primal growl wasn't something he felt would be productive.

The light switched, flashing a green sign of a walking man—signaling that Inuyasha and Kagome were to go their separated ways.

Kagome tapped her foot impatiently and rolled her eyes again. Grasping his elbow, she dragged him across the street, Inuyasha protesting behind her. Well, not so much protesting as releasing a rather aggravated grunt. He could have broken away if he'd wanted to. But he liked Kagome holding his arm, her tiny arms wrapped around his bicep like he was escorting her.

"I guess you'll be walking me home," Kagome declared once they hit the sidewalk and began walking towards Kagome's home. Inuyasha felt his hands begin to sweat and cursed his stupid tendency to act like a schoolboy.

"More like you're walking me to your home," Inuyasha muttered and Kagome sent him a look he couldn't really decipher. The way her lips were curved into a smile, however, quelled any thoughts that she was angry with his comment.

They walked for about fifteen minutes before Kagome turned a corner and a large staircase loomed on their left. Inuyasha stared at it as Kagome jerked him towards it. They began climbing the large marble staircase, with a large red archway at the top. _Higurashi Shrine_ it read as they passed under the archway.

Kagome Higurashi lived on a shrine. It was kind of quaint, the way the shrine was laid out. There was a small mini-shrine near the woods that surrounded the home; a building he assumed was a gift shop in the distance; a large temple located near the gift shop; a modern looking two-story house Inuyasha supposed was Kagome's home; and a large, towering tree, it's boughs waving in the wind that threw rain at the two students' backs.

"Welcome to the Sunset Shrine," Kagome chirped happily and led him towards her home. Inuyasha shuffled along after her, feeling uneasy in the courtyard of the shrine. He was a demon, shouldn't be he… purified or something? He frowned thoughtfully as Kagome led him to the sliding door that would lead to her home.

"Um," Inuyasha said uneasily, pulling the umbrella away easily when he saw that she was under a small overhanging on her front stoop. He rested the umbrella against his shoulder, shielding himself from the rain. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Kagome?" came a muffled voice from inside. Inuyasha's dog ears perked up under his spell as the door slid open, revealing an older woman. Inuyasha stared at the woman. She had wavy, brown hair and soft brown eyes. She wore an apron with purple and white stripes that seemed out of place on the woman's yellow sweater and green skirt. "Ah, it is you, Kagome. Welcome home."

"Mama," Kagome greeted the woman with a hug. She pulled away and turned to Inuyasha smiling. "Inuyasha, this is my mama. Mama, this is Inuyasha. I sit next to him in my history class. He's shy."

Inuyasha felt his face burst into flames at Kagome's blunt revealing of his uneasiness around his history partner. He ducked his head and gave the woman a sloppy bow. He felt kind of awkward doing so, seeing as how he hated to subject himself to others. But, ah well, it was Kagome's mother. He wanted to make a good impression and he wasn't sure why.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Inuyasha…"

"Takahashi. Erm, Inuyasha Takahashi, ma'am," Inuyasha muttered out, lifting his head, his face still red. He glanced uneasily at Kagome and shuffled his feet. "I, uh, walked Kagome home…"

"I forgot my umbrella," Kagome admitted sheepishly and grinned cheekily at her mother. "Inuyasha wanted to give me his umbrella but I didn't want him to catch cold. And he didn't want me to, either. So, he walked me home."

"And what a nice thing for him to do, too," Mrs. Higurashi agreed with a beam as she turned her attention to Inuyasha. "Please, won't you come in? It would be a shame to walk all this way and not stop in for some tea."

"Oh, uh," Inuyasha seemed surprised at this invitation and glanced uneasily at Kagome. Her eager face suggested that she wished for his company. He cleared this throat. "I'm not sure…"

He shouldn't be here. He couldn't get close to other people, especially Kagome. She was so innocent and defenseless. In the arms of Naraku, she would be at his complete mercy. Who knew what the Ring Leader would do to him if he decided to go after the Higurashi family.

Kagome's eager eyes seemed to breech his soul. He felt uneasy.

"I… do have a lot of work to do…"

"Oh, pish posh," Mrs. Higurashi said with a wave of her hand. She grasped Inuyasha's wrist and dragged him inside, plucking the umbrella from his hands and forcing him to remove his jacket. He felt like a little kid but didn't protest. He removed his own shoes.

"So, um," Inuyasha spoke over tea a little while later. He sat at the table with Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome, who both sipped on their own tea. "Do you two live here on your own…?"

"Oh, heavens, no," Mrs. Higurashi bubbled out, smiling at the college boy as if he'd said something absolutely ridiculous—which, evidently, he had. "Kagome is only one of my children. She has two younger siblings and… her grandfather."

Inuyasha eyed the two Higurashi girls, they both smiled at one another but there was an underlying sadness that they didn't express—Inuyasha could sense the sadness in their scents.

He was too hesitant to ask what was wrong and the mother went off.

"Souta, my only little boy. He's going to be sixteen this year," Mrs. Higurashi said sweetly, smiling at the boy. "He attends high school—in the tenth grade. Then there's my darling little Rin. She's the sweetest little girl you'll ever meet. Only eight and attending elementary school."

"And then there's gramps," Kagome injected, her smile returning. "He runs the shrine here. He's a bit off his rocker."

"A bit is a bit of an understatement, actually," laughed the elder of the two Higurashi women. Inuyasha smiled uneasily, finally feeling that he could star to relax.

"Demon!" screeched a voice from the other room. Inuyasha jumped, alarmed. Had his sealing spell worn off? He glanced at the two women—they didn't seem to notice anything. In fact, they both seemed incredibly nonchalant.

Moments later, a hunched over, slightly pudgy old man waddled into the room, his toothless mouth twisted in a frown. He pointed a withered finger at Inuyasha, who swallowed. The man waddled towards him and threw what he guessed was purifying salt in his face. He coughed, but didn't feel anything that could be considered purification.

"Grandpa!" Kagome gasped, standing up and marching to her elder. She grasped the bag of salts and yanked it from his hand. "This is Inuyasha. He's my friend. He is certainly _not_ a demon."

Inuyasha would have found irony in this situation had it not been for the fact that he was still thrown into a state of shock from the man's abrupt appearance and abrupt manner of trying to destroy the demon in the room. He seemed to be thriving on irony lately, though.

The old man sniffed, as if he was stuck in a room with something foul. He glared at Inuyasha and he felt himself slink back away from the old man, despite the fact that the old man was evidently harmless.

"Grandpa thinks that everyone's a demon," Kagome explained gently, unknowingly quelling Inuyasha's uneasiness with the man's ability to sense his demon blood. "He's a little crazy. Senile, really."

"I am not!" barked the old man. He sniffed again. "I am a highly respected priest who runs this shrine and you will treat me with respect, Kagome. After all, you'll be taking the shrine over soon," the old man's tone quieted as he beamed upwards towards his granddaughter.

"You'll be inheriting the shrine?" Inuyasha piped up, eager for a subject change.

Kagome looked meek. "I would… but I don't have any priestess powers of any kind. I'm about as worthless as gramps."

"Hey!" the old man protested but was ignored.

"Nonsense, Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi waved her hand. "You don't need miko abilities to run a shrine."

"I guess so," Kagome spoke quietly, keeping her head bowed. Inuyasha could see the pink in her cheeks and felt himself smile. She was cute. She looked as if she wanted to say something but she stopped herself. "I wouldn't be much of a shrine maiden, though."

"Your grandfather isn't much of a shrine priest, either," Mrs. Higurashi said airily as she stood. Checking her watch and then the clock she turned to her child. "Souta should be home soon, Kagome. I need to go and return a phone call. You'll keep Inuyasha entertained."

"Of course," Kagome chirped happily.

The old man snorted and toddled out of the room, sending a dark glare Inuyasha's way as he did so. Inuyasha was glad to see the withered old prune leave but didn't voice his opinion to Kagome.

True to Mrs. Higurashi's prediction, a few minutes later the sound of the door sliding open and then shut rippled into the room Kagome and Inuyasha were drinking tea.

"My baby brother should be home soon!" Kagome smiled brightly. Inuyasha wondered vaguely how her teenaged brother felt about being called a baby brother.

"I'm home!" called a voice from the foyer. Inuyasha heard the teenaged male slipping off his shoes and dropping his backpack onto the floor as he moved towards his home. "Mom, Kagome, you here?"

"In here," Kagome called happily, smiling when her younger brother entered the room.

Inuyasha stared at Souta Higurashi. His chocolate brown eyes warm as he waved at his sister. His hair was a large mop of brownish-black hair, standing on end in different directions.

What he was looking at was anything but a baby brother. He towered over Kagome and his shoulders were wider than his. Even though Inuyasha still had quite a few inches on the boy, the high school student was wider. They were both lanky though, and Inuyasha was far stronger, his testosterone-driven mind reminded himself.

"Souta," Kagome said with her lips spread into a large grin. She pointed at Inuyasha. Souta seemed to see Inuyasha for the first time and his brown eyes narrowed as he observed him. "This is my friend, Inuyasha. Inuyasha, this is my baby brother, Souta."

"Um… hi?" Inuyasha questioned, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Kagome smiled encouragingly at him from behind Souta's back.

"Hi," Souta returned, his brown eyes returning to the gentle warmth that the Higurashi family seemed to share. "Is Rin home yet?"

"Nope, you beat her today," Kagome returned before turning her attention back to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, do you want to stay for dinner?"

"Um, sure," Inuyasha answered after glancing hesitantly towards Souta. He wasn't sure if spending more time with Kagome was a good idea. His mother's kidnapping still played in his mind.

* * *

"Arg," groaned Souta as he chewed on his eraser. The high school boy was hunched over his geometry homework, screwing his eyes shut as he tried to concentrate on the correct answer to the problem. "I hate you, math."

Inuyasha watched the boy struggling against his homework enemy as Kagome cleaned the dishes. She watched her brother work, separated from the living room by the counter surrounding the kitchen.

"Kagome," whined Souta as he lifted his head towards his elder sister. "Do you know the answer?"

"No," Kagome said at once, not missing a beat. "You know how terrible I am with math, Souta."

"But Kagome," the boy whined, proving to Inuyasha just why Kagome was soon keen on calling him her baby brother. "You're in college. Aren't you in some crazy math like calculus or something? Come on… help me!"

"Sorry," Kagome sighed as she scrubbed at a bowl in the sink. "After I passed my geometry final, all that crap was out the window faster than you can say 'math sucks.'"

Souta pouted some more and continued to bicker with his older sister. Inuyasha leaned over, his black hair brushing over the table as he stared at Souta's math book. Pulling away, he fiddled with the hem of his shirt, unsure whether he should say anything.

Once their voices began to raise and the beginnings of a headache were beginning, Inuyasha spoke, "The answer's five. You forgot to multiple side 'A'."

Both Souta and Kagome ceased their sibling bickering to fix him with a curious look. He felt his cheeks turn pink and ducked his head. He was so awkward around them and it was starting to wear thin on his nerves. For the first time he felt like Clark Kent, mild mannered when he wore his disguise, but a completely different person when he took off his façade.

Well, not necessarily like Superman. Inuyasha was quite certain that he couldn't fly nor did he jump around in brightly colored spandex. He would probably have to kill himself if that ever happened to him. He also liked to think that his disguise was far superior to Mr. Kent's pathetic little wire-framed glasses.

"Wow, thanks!" Souta chirped happily, sounding very much like a male version of Kagome. His warm brown eyes focused on Inuyasha and he grinned. "You're amazing."

"Uh, not really," Inuyasha said sheepishly, feeling his face turn red. "I'm just…"

He chewed his lip, not wanting to say that he was better than them in math in case it insulted them. They seemed to ignore his rebuttal and Kagome continued her housework as Souta finished up his homework with no further complaints.

Rin came bounding into the kitchen, her feet nearly tripping her as she scurried in her pink socks. Rin was the youngest in the family and very adorable. The little elementary school girl had come home about two hours after Souta and when she had, she'd greeted Inuyasha with a large, delighted smile before scurrying behind Kagome's legs and hiding from him.

Now, she sat down next to him, her chin resting on the table as she watched her older brother work. Her chocolate brown eyes watched him work before she flashed him a toothless smile and snatched his calculator.

"Rin!" Souta protested as he went to retrieve his stolen math utensil, but Rin quickly dodged him, ducking under the table and doing a small backwards summersault. Inuyasha covered his eyes as her small jumper flipped upwards. Even if she was a child, he wasn't sure if staring at the girl's underwear would be received happily from the two older siblings. "Give that back, Rin!"

"No!" the girl bubbled out as she trotted behind Inuyasha, peeking her head out from over his shoulder and sticking her tongue out. Souta sighed irritably, perhaps wondering what he'd done to deserve such torture. On the other hand, he wasn't doing homework…

"Rin," Kagome soothed from the next room over, glancing at her younger sister. "Give Souta back his calculator. He needs it."

"But Kagome…!" Rin whined, sounding much like Souta had. This whole family was a family of whiners, Inuyasha concluded, hearing himself sigh. "I wanted to tell Souta about my dream… and if he was doing homework…"

"Not another one of your dreams," Souta moaned as he dove over the table, trying to snatch the calculator from Rin's tiny hands. Rin danced away from him, giggling. Inuyasha rolled his eyes but felt his lips curving into a smile. Rin was a cute little girl, he had to admit, but he would have hated to be in Souta's position.

Evidently, Souta hated his position, too. He sighed and flopped back into his original position. "Okay, Rin," he sighed, "what was your dream about?"

"Pretty, pretty princesses!" Rin laughed happily, twirling around on her foot. "And they were trying to escape from the castle. It was exciting."

"Do tell, Rin," Kagome laughed. Rin began recounting an epic tale of a prince saving princesses for a living until he got tired and fell asleep. Kagome relayed to Inuyasha that Rin loved telling about her dreams and was known to make things up. Inuyasha found it entertaining, nonetheless.

* * *

"I believe that this will be enough to suffice…" Naraku whispered gently as he pushed a large briefcase towards the man sitting in the chair. The chief of police pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and his eyes narrowed as he glanced at the Ring Leader. Licking his dry lips, he opened the case to see it packed with money, much like a stereotypical cop movie. His eyes bugged out, he'd never seen so much in one place at one time, except in movies.

Naraku sat patiently, his dark red eyes focused on the cop's reaction. The man swallowed, staring hungrily at the food. Slinking his hand out, he shut the case with a clap and pulled it back towards him.

"So…" he murmured, his voice dropping an octave. "Do we have a deal?"

"Where did you get all this money?" he rasped out hungrily, wishing he could see the money once again. Naraku chuckled.

"I have connections," Naraku whispered, his voice dripping with venom.

Truth of the matter was that he'd had the money stolen earlier that day. The taijiya had stupidly tried to stop him—sending Kamen and her pathetic new lapdog, "Sha". It had been rather amusing to watch from his vantage point as the two bickered on what to do and had ultimately lost. Once his minions were out of sight, they'd rounded on each other, fighting and throwing occasional kicks at one another. It had all come to a climactic end when Kamen had slammed the half-breed into the ground with her binding spell.

It was all very amusing to watch and even more so knowing that he'd gotten away with the money he'd set out to retrieve. He was one step closer to achieving his goal and he wouldn't allow two little _children_ to defeat him when they couldn't even overcome the difficulties in the partnership.

His attention returned to the cop as he took the briefcase and nodded his head curtly. "You have a deal, Naraku."

"Excellent," Naraku breathed happily, standing. "This conversation never happened," he added, his eyes narrowing.

"What conversation?" the cop asked, his face splitting into a large smile. Naraku nodded his head in approval and, with a puff of his dark miasma, disappeared.

* * *

"I can't believe you let him get away," Kamen snapped angrily as she threw a kick towards Inuyasha, who easily blocked it and flipped her over his back. She remained unfazed by his move and did a small flip in the air before landing on her ground.

"I did _not_ let them get away," Inuyasha growled back, his eyes narrowed as he snarled at his partner. They were currently in the training room, sparring against one another in hopes of releasing their pent up frustrations towards each other and the steady decrease of winnings they'd undergone on their missions. It seemed that the farther they progressed into their partnership, the more they failed.

They also tended to blame the other and never blame themselves. It was becoming aggravating to be around one another, but Inuyasha was bound to her soul—much to his utter annoyance—and there was nothing he could do to get back at her whenever she decided to face plant him.

"If you hadn't been so set on beating them into senselessness…" Kamen said calmly, trying to win the upper hand in maturity. No such luck.

"I wasn't going to shoot them in the back of the necks with fukiya," Inuyasha snapped out. "Hitting them in the back of the neck with some wimpy-ass darts shot from a pea shooter is hardly something I'd call heroic."

"And charging into their lairs trying to knock their heads in is just plain stupid," Kamen retorted, her lips quirked into a deep frown. Inuyasha snorted.

"But it's honorable."

"No, it's just brain dead," she snapped out. Inuyasha snarled.

"Look, I never asked for your opinion on how I should fight. I've been fighting all my life, so you shut your damn mouth," he snarled, trying to sound as menacing as possible. He could feel Kamen's aura swirling in her anger. He'd grown used to her aura and had been able to identify it quite well even without the presence of scents.

"But we're supposed to be working together!" Kamen tugged on her ponytail, a habit she'd adapted to try and calm herself down. "You're being difficult and selfish! We need to work together as a team."

"Then stop hitting people in the back and fight with honor!" Inuyasha demanded, his fists clenching as he blocked a well placed kick towards his face. Kamen could kick high. He hated that.

"You are just so damn—" Whatever it was that Kamen was going to call him Inuyasha would never know because at that moment both their communicators sounded in their ears. They backed away from one another and flipped on the on switch. "Kamen here."

"Sha here," Inuyasha said after her, wishing he'd been the first to speak just so that he could childishly say that he had been the first.

"There's a disturbance," Sango's calm voice sounded over the communicator, sounding perfectly in their ears. She listed off the name of the district where there was the 'disturbance' as they called it. "You two head over there now. Call if you'll need backup."

"We probably will if Sha decides to be a pig head," Kamen muttered and Inuyasha growled at her.

"Go you two," Sango sighed, ignoring their bickering. The entire H.Q. knew of their fights, much to the disgust of Kamen. She claimed that it ruined her reputation. Inuyasha told her that everyone already knew she was a bitch anyway, so it didn't much matter. That had led to many fights between the two partners. People were starting to believe that they'd never get along.

"Let's go," Kamen nodded her head and exited the training room, Inuyasha behind her. They weaved through the sterile white hallways of the headquarters before exiting in the North-West section. Once they were outside, Kamen climbed onto Inuyasha's back and the dog demon was soaring through the air.

Despite the utter dislike for one another, at times when they were needed, they tended to get along well. At least until Inuyasha got the testosterone-driven drive to go and do something heroic and reckless to which Kamen scoffed at and claimed was completely pointless and unproductive. This also led to many fights.

They reached the section Sango spoke of and it wasn't hard to determine where the issues were coming from. They heard a large explosion and rushed across the tops of buildings.

"Be careful, we're urban legends, remember," Kamen warned as they peeked over the edge of the building they crept over. Looking down, they located the problem.

The governmental building used to design advances in technology had a large, gaping hole in its side. A large youkai, with some kind of device strapped to his back, had his head lifted upwards towards the two hunters, watery eyes staring up at them. Kamen pulled an arrow from her quiver and pointed the bow warningly at the youkai. The youkai took a step back.

Suddenly, a large club went flying toward the two. Inuyasha was just in time to pull Kamen away, who'd been too busy watching the other youkai through the scope on her metal bow. She gasped quietly as the club continued flying until it smashed into the building behind them.

They both peeked over again to discover another youkai had joined the large youkai with the stolen device on its back. It seemed like some kind of cat demon, though the two demons couldn't be completely certain. Black eyes stared up at them as he brandished another club, threatening to throw it.

"Let's go," Kamen murmured. Inuyasha nodded and stood, preparing to jump downwards. The cat demon was too fast for them and threw another club at them.

Kamen yelped as Inuyasha tackled her to the ground. They skidded across the rooftop and came to a rest near the edge. Kamen breathed deeply and Inuyasha hoisted himself up slightly, glancing back down towards the two youkai. His hands pushed against the roof on either side of Kamen's shoulders, leaving her on the ground.

Their eyes locked. Another club came flying and collided into Inuyasha's side. He felt at least one of his ribs cracking and he gasped in pain, rolling across the rooftop with the momentum of the weapon. He gasped in pain again, his hand grasping his side gingerly as he clenched his eyes shut.

'_This is ridiculous,'_ a voice whispered in his head. He cringed at his own thoughts. _'Weak.'_

"Sha," murmured Kamen as she crawled towards him, her hand digging around in one of her compartments for something to numb his pain. She extracted a small healing patch. She observed where his pained side was. Extracting her small dagger, she cut open his youkai-hide uniform. He made a small, meek protest before she slapped the patch on his multicolored skin.

"It will mend," she reminded Inuyasha. "The uniforms have youki, remember?"

Inuyasha nodded numbly, staring at her with his bright golden eyes. She offered him a tiny smile.

'_Pathetic.'_

"That's what you get for being reckless," she said, a condescending tone in her voice. Inuyasha snorted darkly and closed his eyes, lying on the ground. Another blast could be heard as the youkai threw a bomb a few feet away from them. Kamen rotated her body to shield the injured hanyou from harm. "I'll be back."

She stood and raced towards the edge. Inuyasha was about to protest before she extracted a ground stopper and threw it to the ground below her. Instantly the advanced technology of the taijiya worked its magic. Where the pellet hit the ground, a large mat of what looked almost like jelly appeared. She landed comfortingly, ricocheted off the plasma mat and landed her bow at ready. She sent an arrow towards the small cat demon who barely dodged it.

'_Weak…'_

"I got one," the cat demon snickered to his partner. He readied another attack. "I can easily take you down."

"You will return that which is not yours," Kamen instructed, her arrow poised towards the cat demon. The demon snorted and flicked his tail behind him. "I will give you one last chance to surrender yourself to the demon hunters."

"Not likely," the cat demon yawned, his tail flicking behind him before wrapping around his waist to prevent trouble.

Kamen sent another arrow and it pierced the demon's arm, purifying it instantly. The cat hadn't dodged quickly enough. Despite that, the cat demon narrowly avoided an arrow through his heart. His arm disappeared and the cat hissed, his fangs bared and his eyes narrowed. He raced towards Kamen and sent a kick to her stomach, sending the girl flying to the ground.

"You'll pay for that, wench," the cat demon snarled, his fangs bared and his cat-like growls rippling through the otherwise abandoned streets. He began throwing relentless amounts of punches and kicks towards Kamen, preventing her from drawing another arrow.

She wavered, her bow falling from her hand and clattering on the ground. She felt her body swaying as the cat sent another kick. She was losing; she'd grown too used to Sha's companionship. He'd always covered her or she him. Now, she was alone and her partner was helpless high above on the building.

She clenched her eyes shut, preparing for the final kick.

She heard the blast of a ground stopper and the cat demon and Kamen turned their heads in time to see Inuyasha land on his back. He hadn't trusted himself to land on his own and had opted for the ground stopper instead. He, like Kamen, ricocheted off the mat and landed on the street, his legs buckling. He nearly sent himself into the wall but steadied himself.

With his hand shaking, he drew his sword which instantly transformed. "Don't touch her."

Kamen's eyes widened as the cat shot his leg out and planted a large kick to Kamen. She fell to the ground, her body screaming in protest when she tried to stand. She watched Sha and the cat demon throw punches and Sha trying to swing his father's sword. The dog demon positioned himself protectively in front of Kamen and the huntress stared at his back. She could see his muscles through the protective hide of his uniform.

"Don't touch her," he repeated, his sword, like a large fang, held out in front of him. Kamen could almost imagine Sha's dark golden eyes glaring at the cat demon, just daring him to defy him. His hold on his sword tightened.

She struggled to stand. His ears twitched back towards her.

'_Pathetic and weak… Inferior. Worthless. Can't even protect your mother…'_ his thoughts reminded him, whispering deeply within him. Inuyasha felt his hands quivering.

"Stay down," he snapped angrily. Kamen froze, her eyes widening behind her protective goggles. True, Sha was a rather aggressive and rough guy, but he'd sounded… primal there.

His hands were shaking and Tessaiga seemed to be giving him trouble.

'_Why am I helping her…?'_ Inuyasha heard himself whispering. _'It's not like she'd do the same for me… after all, she is the one that holds the binding.'_ His rosary beads seemed to clink together, as if trying to remind him of their presence. Tessaiga slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground with a dull thud, morphing back into its rusty, stick-like state.

He quivered, feeling himself slipping into his own thoughts of betrayal and inferiority.

Kamen tried to stand again and he turned his head sharply. "Stay _down!_" he snarled out at her. "Damn wench!"

Kamen took a deep intake of breath. "What?" he snapped out.

"Your eyes…" she whispered. "They're red."

And indeed, his eyes were red. He felt his thoughts within him, screaming at him, reminding him of his inferiority and his weak and pathetic nature. He fell to his knees, his entire body shaking as he groped for his sword, as if it would bring him support.

The two demons were long gone, taking the governmental device with them. Kamen and Sha weren't sure what they were, but that was the least of their worries. Inuyasha felt the blood in his veins running at high speed, pushing the human blood into completely submission. He was used to the human blood's presence, but now it seemed as if it were completely evaporating from his body.

"Sha!" he heard Kamen's voice shout before he slipped into darkness.

* * *

Darkness fell over the room as Naraku gazed over the room, his red eyes sweeping all the tiny little nuances to the room.

"It seems that I've underestimated the hunters," he breathed to the other occupant of the room. She nodded her head silently. "I guess then we'll have to take more precautions, hm?"

"Yes," the other one whispered, her voice strained, as if containing the hatred she felt for the man before her.

Naraku turned his attention to the woman standing before him. His lips curved into a smile.

"I leave the death of Kamen and Sha in your more than capable hands," Naraku murmured, chuckling to himself. "Let me down… and let's say that you'll be more than sorry."

"I understand," her voice was strained.

"Don't let me down," he reminded her, his laugh dry and cruel, like his voice. "You'll know what will happen if you do."

The wind rustled the curtains from the open window as the woman exited the room, her hair fluttering behind her as the wind rustled the contents of the room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Nine**

* * *

"Sha!" Kamen screeched out, her eyes widening behind her goggles as she watched her partner struggling with himself. His red eyes, unfocused and unblinking, stared at the ground and his body twitched with an almost seizure like writhing. "Sha!"

She wasn't sure what yelling out his name—well, alias—would do to help him, but at the moment she was petrified. She'd faced many demons before. She'd been with the demon exterminators for a favorable amount of years. But yet, seeing her partner writhing in pain froze her from her position.

He growled, a deep, primal sounding bark similar to a dog's. Kamen took a hesitant back, wishing to distance herself from him and yet, at the same time, help him. He didn't respond to her voice save for that one dog-like grunt. She took a step towards him again, her hand reaching out.

A dark snarl erupted from his parted lips and he scurried away from her, his hands on the ground, as if he were trying to move like a dog. His red eyes surveyed her warily, his lips drawn back, baring his fangs at her in warning. He almost looked like a cat that'd just about been dumped in water. Except that he wasn't wet—just the mannerisms he portrayed as he stared at her. His ears swiveled on top of his head, poised and quivering towards her.

"Sha," she said, gentler this time as she took another step towards him only to see him scurry away again, his claws scraping against the pavement. His eyes swept over her body and the area surrounding them, seemingly planning his escape. "Sha, calm down. It's me."

She wasn't sure if that was supposed to bring him comfort, seeing as how the two weren't necessarily the greatest of friends—or partners, for that matter—but it seemed to have no effect on the dog demon. His red eyes narrowed and he growled warningly, causing Kamen to pause in her step once again.

The huntress felt her breath freeze in her throat as Sha suddenly arched up, standing to his full height, dark red eyes staring down at her. He growled, the small vibrations from his throat causing shivers to dance up and down Kamen's spine. She visibly shuddered, causing the red-eyed dog demon to smirk wickedly. She watched something primal dance in his eyes and felt a cold fist of fear grip her.

"You… you stupid boy!" she gasped out, feeling her anger boiling. Her fear seized her. "Can't… can't even control yourself now, can you?"

He growled again. "Shut up, wench," he whispered. Kamen startled, feeling her heart freeze for one painful second. She hadn't known he could speak. "Keep your damned mouth shut."

She glared at him, her anger so close to ruling out her fear. "No!" she snapped out defiantly. "I won't."

He loomed towards her, his body slithering, smoothly closing the distance between them. He stood over her and she felt like her heart had truly stopped forever this time. She quivered and he smirked wickedly, his eyes flashing angrily.

His hand snapped out, fisting itself in the material of her uniform, pulling her off the ground. She gasped quietly and didn't think to use her purifying energy to knock him away. She was petrified with fear as she stared into those heartless red eyes.

"Stop…" she protested weakly, wondering where her typical exuberance had disappeared to. Usually she would have batted this behavior away like a pesky fly. But sometime was different. True, Sha was harsh… but he had never… done this before. "Sha…" she whispered, her eyes staring at him through her goggles. "Sha…"

He chuckled, and the noise sounded like nails on a chalkboard. She shuddered as his smirk flashed over his face. He lifted her a little higher, as if wondering what it was that he was supposed to do with her.

"Stop…" she said again, clutching his wrists with her own hands. She couldn't seem to summon up the energy to purify him. Perhaps she didn't want to.

"Make me."

The words were harsh and sinister punctuated by a dark chuckle. Kamen shuddered again and struggled against his grip, trying to free herself and summon up her powers. Nothing happened except another dark laugh. Red eyes flashed and elongated fangs glinted in his mouth as he continued to smirk.

She stared at him dumbly, unsure what to make of such a look. Her powers had temporarily abandoned her, and she wasn't sure why. In her mind, she reasoned that it was because it _was_ Sha. And, despite the fact that he was boorish and rude, he was still her partner. She saw glimmers of a good person in Sha's golden eyes, even though she rarely voiced such an opinion. The familiarity of Sha was enough to make any girl smile silently. It was just when he opened his mouth…

She was digressing from the issue at hand. She tried to pull away from Sha, who continued to stare at her like he'd much rather eat her than anything else. It was unnerving, to say the least, and she felt her attempts at escape increasing.

"You don't want to do this," she tried to reason with him, her hands hanging at her sides when she felt her strength rush away from her.

"How do you know what I want?" he breathed out, his venom-laced voice breezing over her face.

A thought struck Kamen and she felt a world of relief flood over her.

She stared at him for a long moment, hoping that her newly conceived idea didn't appear in her body language. She was thankful that her eyes were hidden, because she'd been told by many before that her eyes were rather revealing in what she was thinking.

In any case, the demon didn't seem to notice the glimmer of change in her demeanor and continued to hold her in midair. She allowed a tiny smile to creep over her face and was pleased to see that he regarded her nervously, unsure what it was she was plotting.

She licked her dry lips. "Sha…" she paused for effect, "Sit."

It happened instantly. The rosary around his neck glowed and he slammed to the ground, taking Kamen with him. She gasped in pain as he pinned her. He didn't move for a long moment. Kamen waited on bated breath.

A short while later, Sha lifted his head, complete with glowing golden eyes. He stared at her, his eyes wide.

"What… happened?" he questioned, blinking slowly as he looked around. "Did we beat them?"

Kamen shook her head and felt her body shaking. Tears threatened to trickle down her face but she quickly sustained them. Sha must have sensed it, however, because he looked alarmed.

"Hey, wench, what the hell happened?" he asked, covering his worrisome thoughts with an angry snap. Kamen shook her head and stared at the ground, wishing she could erase the look he'd had in his eyes not too long ago.

"Hey…" he murmured again, reaching out a hand. He almost expected her to flinch away, but instead, she kept her head bowed. She clutched her knees and sniffled prominently, trying to hide her unease.

"What?" she questioned.

"It's okay now…" he whispered.

Kamen nodded, finding comfort in the demon's words despite herself.

* * *

"So… I changed?" Inuyasha questioned uncertainly. Kamen and Inuyasha found themselves back at the headquarters, back in a sterile white room he was all too accustomed to. He'd done many tests with Miroku, who found him more than fascinating. Inuyasha tolerated it barely, but knew that at the end of the day he really had no choice in the matter.

Miroku was busy fiddling over testing results, finding this new change about Inuyasha the greatest thing since sliced bread. He scribbled down on his clipboard and continued flipping to different pages, comparing some forgotten test results he'd collected from Inuyasha's blood. He nodded occasionally before returning to writing quickly on the front page.

Kamen nodded, but wasn't looking at him. Instead, she was relaying the information of the event in question to Sango, who stood near Miroku listening intently. Her eyes narrowed in thought as she registered Kamen's words. Neither of his three coworkers even so much as glanced at him. He felt like he was looking in on something to which he didn't belong, even though they were quite obviously discussing him.

"He… His eyes turned red and…" Kamen paused, pursing her lips in thought as she tried to remember the other changes that had overcome Inuyasha. She shrugged one shoulder. "His fangs were longer, too, I think. I wasn't really paying attention to that… I was a little dizzy from him nearly choking me."

He didn't hear any contempt or anger in her voice, she was simply speaking facts. Nevertheless, what she said shot a shiver up his spine. He couldn't remember anything that had happen—just that he'd been slammed to the ground by Kamen. Anything before that was a rather frustrating blur of nothing.

"Just as I suspected," Miroku interjected before Sango could open her lips. The three turned to look at the doctor. He glanced up and beamed, as if what Kamen had just been saying truly _was_ the greatest thing ever. "Sha's neuron activity is increasing and his brain mass is massively warping."

Inuyasha looked confused and the two girls near him mirrored his expression.

"Let me explain," Miroku said calmly with a nod. "Sha's brain has undergone some major mutations since his body needs to compensate for the sleeping blood that his father concealed within him. This has caused his brain to shift and change massively and his neurons' action potential speed to increase almost threefold." The three pretended to look like they knew what the doctor was talking about.

"His brain is undergoing a change that's similar to the brain development of a two-year-old or a teenager—the two most major stages of brain development. Only, his body isn't expecting it and it's causing some major repercussions."

"Like what?" Inuyasha asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Your demon blood is fighting for dominance," Miroku stated simply, his eyes sparkling at the possible tests he could conduct to learn more. "But, at the same time, the changes in your body aren't able to maintain your blood and as a result, your demon blood is trying to destroy your human blood completely."

"What?" Kamen and Sango gasped and Inuyasha could just imagine their eyes widening—but he didn't pull his own widened eyes away from Miroku.

"I'm not sure what's triggering it, for obvious reasons." He seemed put out by this idea. "But something his causing Sha's blood to overpower him at times. As a result, I think what Kamen experienced today was Sha's body trying to resist his father's blood's power struggle."

"Amazing," Sango marveled, her eyes staring at Inuyasha as if he were on display. Inuyasha felt raw under her gaze.

"Who knows what may happen," Miroku murmured, pursing his lips. "That wasn't a complete transformation. I'm not sure what will happen if Sha undergoes a complete transformation."

"Disaster," Kamen spoke, her voice echoing in the room. Silence followed the statement as the other three nodded mutely.

Inuyasha stared at the floor, his golden eyes swirling with emotion. One thought reverberated throughout his mind:

'_Why me?'_

* * *

He must have dozed off, he realized, because Inuyasha was suddenly jostled awake. He sat bolt upright, his lavender eyes—the illusion from the sealing spell still in place—staring at the wall blankly as he tried to figure out what it was that had awoken him. Rubbing his head he glanced down at the textbook he'd been sleeping on. He rubbed his cheek, hoping that there weren't marks on it. He cringed at the pain in his arm where Miroku had pricked him multiple times in his fervor to get as much blood as possible in order to do tests.

Suddenly, the reason for his abrupt awakening sounded shrilly from the drawer to his desk. Frowning, he opened it and pulled out the communicator he'd removed from his ear when it started to itch. His said dog ear inclined towards it as he shoved it into his ear.

"What?" he barked, aggravated that he'd been awoken from a late night essay writing. The thing was due next week but he had a feeling that Kamen would take this opportunity to train with him. Which wasn't a fun thing, he reminded himself bitterly.

"We're needed," Kamen's voice spoke in his ear. He rolled his eyes.

"You're kidding? I thought that maybe you were calling for a date," he groaned out sardonically. Why _else_ would she be calling for other than to instruct him on some mundane errand he'd need to run?

Going into the demon exterminators, with all the hype of training and Tessaiga, Inuyasha had expected something a little more… exciting. He silently told himself to pipe down, seeing as how not a couple days ago he'd been wishing for his ordinary lifestyle once again. His waffling on this rather important subject was starting to wear thin on his nerves. That, and the fact that Naraku hadn't contacted him about his mother was starting to wear him thin.

Kamen, however, seemed unfazed by Inuyasha's snide remarks. "There's a disturbance down by the docks. Meet me there."

A small click signaled that Kamen had ended her transmission, leaving Inuyasha once again in silence. He sighed and stood, shoving his textbook aside haphazardly. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Inuyasha scooted across his floor to where he hid his uniform—the incredibly flattering spot beneath his bed.

Kneeling, he extracted his protective uniform, complete with the tedious gadgets that he rarely found a reason to use, and began stripping. Dressing, he clicked off the light in his bedroom window and slipped off the ring from his finger, tucking it away into one of his many compartments. Ducking beneath his window, he peered up, his golden eyes sweeping over the world outside.

Spotting no one around, the hanyou slipped open his window and hopped nimbly onto his windowsill. A sliver of silver moonlight kissed his feet as he closed his window sullenly and jumped down to the ground. He stood to his full height after landing and peered around. The docks weren't too far away. He glanced mournfully at his motorcycle before leaping up onto the building opposite of the street.

He moved swiftly through the night, his golden eyes narrowed in determination. Soon, the docks were in sight and from the corner of his eye he could see Kamen moving swiftly, though slower—due to her human limbs. He darted behind her and soon was in sync with her. He scooped her up soundlessly, as they'd become quite accustomed to Inuyasha's speedier way of travel, and moved to the docks. Dropping down behind crates, Inuyasha set Kamen down and turned to her.

"So, what's happening?" Inuyasha asked as a greeting.

Kamen rolled her shoulders until he heard a distant popping sound before inclining her head, signaling that he was to follow her before she made any sound.

"Patrol picked up a strange signature reading," Kamen explained quietly once they were secured in the shadow of a taller alcove of crates. "Sent us to investigate. They think it might be Naraku."

The name caused a flash of anger to flare up within him. He felt his claws dig into his palms and his golden eyes narrow. He sniffed the air experimentally, wishing that he could detect Naraku's scent—or perhaps the faint glimmer of juniper, his mother's scent. Instead, he was greeted with the distinct scent of rotted fish and dirty water.

"Smell anything?" Kamen pressed as she fiddled with the goggles on her face, obviously adjusting the frequency to some new setting. He shook his head and he heard Kamen sigh in disappointment. "Damn, guess we'll have to really go and investigate, then. It's probably nothing but some rat demons."

Giving a face that Inuyasha would have called a pout on anyone else, Kamen swung up onto the crates and began climbing, moving slowly and carefully while unhooking the bow on her back. He watched her go before moving in the opposite direction, jumping lightly onto the crates, soundlessly moving towards the top.

The wind rustled their faces but neither seemed to notice as they crept along the shipping crates, searching for that one flash of a demon, that one scent of their enemy. After a quarter of an hour with nothing, Inuyasha felt his patience wearing thin again.

Ambiguous shadows danced on the docks below as Inuyasha reached the top, surveying the area. He spotted Kamen not too far away, looking in his blind spots. He felt strangely relieved that Kamen was covering him—or was he covering her?—and turned his attention back towards the issue at hand.

"See anything?" Kamen's voice whispered in his ear. The said dog ear twitched as Inuyasha's eyes swept over the stray rats that peppered the docks below. He shook his head for a moment before realizing that Kamen wasn't near him—it was hard to remember that sometimes, he was so used to her aura.

"Nothing except rats and crates," Inuyasha muttered. "The patrol must have been drunk. Damn sods making us go all the way out here for nothing…"

He almost swore he heard Kamen giggle but shrugged it off as a trick of the wind, which continued to blow around them. "Well," he grunted angrily. "There doesn't seem to be anything here. Should we head back?"

He turned towards Kamen in time to see a figure on the giant crane used to transport crates onto the large ships. He stared openly, his golden eyes wide, so wide he was sure that he was reflecting the figure in his orbs. The sliver of moon silhouetted the figure's body, but it was too feminine to be Naraku's.

"Hey, wench," he began but was cut off as Kamen turned in time to see a bright flash rush towards her. His eyes widened and he was already skidding towards her as Kamen jumped off the crates. He caught her in midair and they both watched in stunned fascination as the crates Kamen had been standing on moments ago blasted into millions of pieces.

They landed on the dock in time to see the figure pull something from her side and shoot the dock's regulation building. It was revealed to be a grappling hook and the two partners readied their weapons as the figure swung down from the orange crane. With a nimble flip, she landed on the ground, barely touching down before shooting upwards and firing another blast towards them.

Kamen and Sha dodged. Inuyasha watched as the arrow, shimmering in a bright light much like Kamen's, embedded itself in the crate behind them. He saw Kamen ready her own arrow, drawing it from the quiver on her back. He turned his attention back towards the female figure that'd just waged against them.

"No…" he heard Kamen gasp out and turned towards her, afraid she'd somehow hurt herself. The arrow poised on the bow wasn't pointed at the figure anymore. In fact, it was pointing at the ground, the string, instead of being pulled taut, was limp in Kamen's fingers. "No…"

Inuyasha lifted his eyes, unsure what it was that had made Kamen at this way. His eyes stared at the figure. _He_ didn't see anything that would cause him to deny her presence. She was attractive, he knew that at once. Her brown eyes stared at them, long bangs nearly hiding them from view. She had a tiny nose, pursed lips, perfectly brushed, black hair, and a slim body.

She seemed faintly familiar and he wondered where he'd seen her before.

"Kikyou…" Kamen's voice shattered the silence of the docks. The one named Kikyou nodded her head, blank brown eyes staring at Kamen as she pointed an arrow towards the woman.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. Kikyou. He recognized her. He'd had a dream about her before he'd transformed—he remembered with a blush that he'd dreamed of her many times as a boyish teenager. She was the beautiful, gorgeous supermodel who'd disappeared years ago. She'd been Japan's favorite model, and her sudden disappearance had crushed the hopes and dreams of dateless guys—much like him—everywhere.

But what was she doing here?

And why did Kamen know her?

"What are… what are you doing here?" Kamen demanded and Inuyasha heard a quiver in her voice that he'd never heard before. He stared at her before warily staring at the newcomer. She didn't even bat an eyelash at Kamen's pathetic demands. He wished that whatever was happening would stop, because he was starting to feel the tension mounting on the docks.

"I've been sent to kill you," Kikyou said calmly, poising an arrow towards Kamen. Kamen stilled, and her body tensed. He felt her aura surging with what he could only guess was barely contained pain.

Inuyasha moved swiftly, pivoting where he stood and standing in front of Kamen, blocking the girl from view. He felt a hand touch his back but ignored it. He glared at Kikyou, silently daring her to make a move towards Kamen.

Golden eyes locked on Kikyou's chocolate brown ones and he felt one of his ridiculously boyish fantasies come to life—despite the fact that Kikyou had to the intent to kill Kamen, standing here actually looking at her was hardly an every day occurrence, especially since everyone believed Kikyou to be dead.

He felt Kamen behind him shift, but he still didn't move. He glared at Kikyou, clutching Tessaiga's hilt like a lifeline.

"Half breed," he heard Kikyou murmur, her arrow cocked towards him. "Move aside."

"No," Inuyasha said firmly, not allowing himself to back down even when he saw the tip of Kikyou's arrow shimmer with her miko powers. "I won't let you touch her."

He felt Kamen move again and placed a hand behind him, touching her forearm and stilling her. He didn't turn to face her and he didn't move. His golden eyes did not waver away from the woman before him. He would protect Kamen. For one brief moment he wondered why he was risking his life for Kamen but quickly shoved such a thought aside. Now was certainly not the time to be thinking about this.

"Then…" Kikyou hesitated, her brown eyes flickering from Inuyasha's face to Kamen behind him. "Then… prepare to die."

She released her arrow and it came soaring towards him. He braced himself, reading to slice it with Tessaiga if possible. The arrow flickered with purifying energy. Time seemed to stand still and Inuyasha watched as two hands appeared on either side of his face, palms facing towards the oncoming arrow.

A split second later, a large blast of energy erupted from Kamen's outstretched hands and knocked against the arrow, causing it to fall to the ground—the two different powers having canceled it out. Inuyasha stared at it and watched as the hands slowly slunk back behind him and a tiny, quivering hand to touch his back again.

"Stay back, wench," Inuyasha instructed and Kamen obeyed, taking a hesitant step back.

Inuyasha was about to go to the woman but Kikyou was too quick. She raced towards the hanyou, and, with a flying kick to his head, sent him spiraling towards the ground. He slammed his head against the ground and skidded a couple of feet—having been caught off guard.

Kamen whipped her head towards her partner, who thudded against the shipping crates and groaned weakly, shifting his head and trying to get up. His body quivered before he fell back to the ground, his eyes staring dimly at the two women before the golden orbs fell shut.

"No!" Kamen gasped out and moved swiftly towards Kikyou, her heavy boots preparing to kick Kikyou's face inwards. The other girl was too quick for Kamen, however, as she quickly dodged.

The two girls sent punches and kicks towards one another, silently moving away from the fallen half breed.

"It's been a long time hasn't it, Kagome?" Kikyou murmured as she blocked a well-placed punch to her face.

Kamen's eyes widened and she whipped her head around quickly, her eyes resting on Inuyasha before turning back to Kikyou.

"Don't call me that," she hissed out, her eyes wide beneath her protective goggles. "I'm Kamen."

Kikyou smiled sadly as she ducked beneath another punch to her face. She lifted her leg up quickly, knocking the poisonous darts in Kamen's hands. She moved in a fluid motion similar to Kamen's, though Kikyou looked far more graceful then the other girl.

"Kamen, huh?" Kikyou said, her smile still incredibly sad. "It means 'disguise'. Fitting…" Her brown eyes glowed with barely suppressed emotions. "The name of the last shoot I ever did before…"

"Before you betrayed us," Kamen snapped out angrily, her lips quirked downwards in an aggravated frown. "And I didn't name myself after you, if that's what you were thinking."

"No last tribute to your long-lost sister, Kagome?" Kikyou questioned, her brown eyes sweeping over the girl's face. Kamen stiffened, her back going rigid. Her hands were curled into angered fists as she glared at her older sister.

"Why would I pay tribute to someone who tried to kill us?" Kamen snapped out, feeling the annoying pressure of tears in the back of her eyes. She blinked rapidly, willing the feeling away. "Traitor."

Kikyou looked pained, the hand holding her bow quivered lightly before she bit her lip and steadied herself.

"You don't deny it," Kamen hissed and charged towards Kikyou, her fists flying about as she punched at the girl. "What kind of horrible person are you? How can you sleep at night knowing you tried to kill your family?"

Kikyou's fathomless brown eyes stared at Kamen, the chocolate orbs glimmering in the darkness of the night and the distant lights of Tokyo. Kamen was shaking as she pulled her own arrow and aimed it at her elder sister, her eyes narrowed.

"I have to kill you," Kikyou whispered and Kamen almost thought she heard an indescribable pain in her sister's voice. But that was impossible. Kikyou had joined Naraku. Kikyou had tried to kill her family. Kikyou was a traitor.

"Why?" Kamen spat out her words like they were poisonous. She glared at her sister. "Because I know you're alive now? Can't have any witnesses?"

"No," Kikyou snapped out, anger boiling in her chocolate eyes as her normally calm exterior melted away into a fit of anger. "Because I'm being forced to, you twit!"

Kamen froze, staring at her. The arrow poised on her bow quivered and fell from her hands. She bit her lip. Could she believe her sister? Part of her wanted to, but at the same time another part of her told her that what she was feeling was just a glimmer of hope—a hope that her sister was not what she had made herself.

"Forced?" Kamen breathed.

"Yes," Kikyou snapped. "Do you _think_ that for one moment I'd want to _hurt_ you? To hurt mama? Gramps? Souta? Rin?" Kikyou was shaking. "No! I had to protect you!"

"Protect us…?" Kamen looked stricken—or at least what could be seen of her face. "What do you mean? From what?"

"Who do you think?" Kikyou hissed. Her whole body was shaking in rage. "_Naraku._"

Kamen teetered on both sides—to believe her sister, the one who'd betrayed them, or not? She opted to stay silent. She watched her elder sister silently, her eyes sweeping over her form. Kikyou stood silently, her brown eyes staring at the younger.

"He would have tortured you… killed you…" Kikyou whispered, and she lowered her eyes. "I couldn't—wouldn't—let him do that."

Kamen continued to stare.

"Why does Naraku want Sha and me dead?" Kamen demanded.

Kikyou shrugged. "He doesn't share these things with me… I'm just a… minion, I guess. I suppose that's what I am now." She looked so incredibly sad in that moment that Kamen felt her heart break again.

Their family reunion was interrupted, however, when a flash of silver blazed past Kamen. Before the two sisters could blink, Sha's hand was clasped around Kikyou's throat and he was holding her up, her feet kicking off the ground. He growled darkly.

"You won't touch her!" he snapped out again, much like he had when he'd first started protecting Kamen that night.

"Sha!" Kamen gasped out. "Stop!"

Sha turned his attention towards Kamen, confusion dancing in his golden yellow eyes. He looked utterly confused and torn.

"Stop, she's my sister!" Kamen breathed and Sha's eyes widened. He slowly lowered Kikyou down, who quickly broke away from the hanyou, massaging her neck as she went.

Sha took a step towards Kamen and positioned himself yet again in a spot in front of Kamen. Though this time, he stood near her right instead of blocking her completely from view. He glared at Kikyou, unsure whether or not to trust her.

When had Sha become so protective? Kamen couldn't remember.

"She… may have information for us," Kamen said gently, staring at Kikyou. Kikyou shifted uncomfortably.

"Information…?" he whispered distantly.

"About Naraku," Kamen spoke as her eyes locked on Kikyou. "Well? Do you?"

Kikyou shifted uncomfortably, as if she desperately wanted nothing more than to sink into the ground or become invisible. Inuyasha felt a slight twinge of pity penetrate him but Kamen continued to stare at Kikyou stubbornly, her arms crossed.

"He doesn't… tell me much," Kikyou admitted. "I'm not a favorite you see." She shifted uneasily under the two taijiya's penetrating stares. "From what I've heard… he's planning something big."

She looked around, as if expecting something to pop up. Seemingly satisfied, she returned his attention to Kamen and Sha. "Something that will wipe out all the humans in this area."

Kamen's mouth fell open before she snapped it shut. "What?"

"From what I've seen, he's making some kind of machine that will somehow kill off all the humans in the city. I'm not sure how it works. He's already stolen some of the necessary parts… And that doctor that he kidnapped, Dr. Yomohama… Somehow Naraku's using the doctor's knowledge in this."

Kikyou swallowed. With every word that passed through her lips she became more and more uncomfortable. Sha could sense her uneasiness and wondered what it was that was making her so nervous.

"Anything else?" Kamen demanded.

"Y-yes," Kikyou murmured. Her eyes glowed from the light from the city. "He's been conversing with the Aum Shinrikyo."

Silence followed this statement. The Aum Shinrikyo, the Japanese religious cult. A couple of years ago they'd released nerve gas into the Tokyo subway station. Many had been apprehended, but the leader had slipped through the cracks.

"They helped him steal a large scale governmental generator," Kikyou explained.

"That's what we tried to keep away from them," Kamen supplied to Sha who nodded in understanding.

"I overhead him talking," Kikyou whispered, creeping closer to the two as if the distance between them was too far away for her to be talking. "Talking to the Aum Shinrikyo… at least, I think it was them. But something's going down at these docks in a couple of days. I'm not sure when."

Her eyes swept the docks again. The eerie sound of water slapping against the docks was the only noise in the otherwise still air. She shivered unconsciously as the wind fluttered over her face.

"How can we be sure that she's telling the truth?" Inuyasha suddenly demanded, causing the two miko to stare at him in shock. They'd nearly forgotten he was there for a moment, so engrossed in the words Kikyou was saying. "This could just be a trap set up by Naraku."

He bitterly remembered his mother and glared at Kikyou.

Kikyou was silent for a moment. "I was blackmailed into joining Naraku."

"What?" Inuyasha hissed out. The idea wasn't unlikely. But how could he be sure? His thoughts still remained on his kidnapped mother.

"Naraku would have killed my family had I not joined him. I had to pretend to attack them so they wouldn't come searching for me…" Kikyou said tensely. "It worked."

The two words she spoke were packed with so much emotion that Inuyasha was positive that the supermodel was going to burst into tears.

Kamen took a step towards her and soon she was running. Perhaps she was foolish to believe her sister so quickly. But as she approached her sister, she felt her mind fill with all the things that she and Kikyou used to do together. She'd wanted to grow up and be Kikyou. Kikyou was the greatest person in her young, child-like mind. Her older sister was her idol back then and they did everything together.

She reached Kikyou and threw her arms around her sister, grasping her tightly in her arms and squeezing with all her might. Inuyasha stood awkwardly, feeling like a voyeur in the family moment.

He took a step backwards and turned his head away from the display. As he did, his golden eyes focused on a swish of fabric as a figure darted behind the crates a short walk away from the three of them. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and he jumped nimbly to where the figure had disappeared.

Hesitantly, he peeked around the corner in time to see the figure before he felt something wrap around his wrists and ankles. Before he could blink he was strung up into the air, hanging, suspended, above the two miko.

The two sisters broke away quickly, Kamen grasping her bow and arrow and staring up at Sha like he'd grown a second head. Inuyasha glared back at her, silently telling her to run away with Kikyou.

But it was too late. The figure he'd spotted darted forward and threw her weapon at the two girls. Soon they, too, were tied down.

"Hair," Kamen heard Kikyou murmur. Kamen's eyes darted to the strings that held her. It looked like flexible wire. The thought of it being hair kind of disgusted her.

"Well, well," drawled a lazy voice as the figure stood atop the crates, regarding the three trapped by hair. "I wasn't expecting Kikyou to betray us… but Naraku had a suspicion. A correct one, it would appear."

She sauntered down the crates with nimble leaps before landing before the two sisters. Kamen struggled but Kikyou just stared, absolutely horrified.

"Yura," Kikyou wheezed out. "Release me."

"Tut, tut," Yura waved a finger like she was disciplining the elder of the two miko. "Unlike you, I am very loyal to Naraku-sama. He won't be pleased to learn that you disregarded your family so—"

Kamen looked like she was going to say something but Kikyou whipped her head around, her brown eyes burning with a furious protective nature that Kamen hadn't seen in years.

"Do _not_ say a word, Kamen," Kikyou snapped. "Do not give any information as to who you are."

Kamen's eyes widened beneath her goggles but she nodded. Revealing that she was related to Kikyou would mean that Naraku would know her family as well—evidently the same as Kikyou's. Kamen, so far remaining most elusive to Naraku, wouldn't dare sacrifice that valuable information.

Hairs strung around Kikyou's neck as the strands loosened around her wrists and ankles, freeing her save for the bundle under her chin. It lifted her face up, and Yura stared down at her, her painted red lips curved into a malicious smile.

Kamen watched, horrified, as the strands tightened around Kikyou, causing her eyelids to flutter and her lips to part as she gasped for air. Yura chuckled to herself, watching this display until Kikyou's head lolled to the side.

"You bitch!" Kamen screeched out, her body struggling against the hair's hold. Yura glanced at her before drawing the sword at her hip. It gleamed in the dying moonlight and Kamen's eyes widened. "No!"

"I have my orders," Yura said offhandedly. The grin on her face proved she was enjoying herself, however. With a flick of her wrist Kamen watched as the sword's blade slashed across her sister. Kamen screamed for this Yura woman to stop but the hair demon ignored her.

Kamen felt her bindings break away and soon she was on the ground, leaping towards the demon and knocking her foot into her stomach, sending the hair master into the crates. A couple toppled over onto the other side but neither Kamen nor Yura seemed to notice or care.

Yura lifted herself up, glaring at the young miko, her grip on her sword tightening. "You'll regret that."

As the two fought it became evident to Kamen that Yura was far too powerful for her. She moved in a fluid motion, easily dodging any of Kamen's highly skillful attacks. That, and the accompaniment of her hair wasn't helping Kamen's situation in the least.

Razor thin cuts were appearing on her body but Kamen refused to back down. Kikyou wasn't moving—she'd fallen to the ground when Yura had sent all her hair towards Kamen—and she looked dead. Kamen would never forgive Yura. A couple of hours ago, she would have been pleased to see the traitorous wench die, but knowing that Kikyou was innocent and that she'd been blackmailed had roused something deep within Kamen. She would not let Kikyou be killed, provided that her sister was still alive.

Kamen felt the sword pierce her side, barely missing her stomach. She gasped in pain as she felt her uniform tear and blood begin to seep out. Her hands were shaking too much to reach for a healing antidote, and there was nothing she could do but protect herself.

With a swift kick, Yura knocked her to the ground and Kamen gasped in pain. She stared up at Yura, fear evident in her eyes—she was thankful the demon couldn't see her look of fear—and she felt death slowly creeping up her spine. Would she suffer?

Yura didn't seem too keen on giving her a quick and painless death, however. She grasped Kamen's foot and happily swung her over her shoulder, slamming her back against the ground painfully. She gasped in pain and felt as if her back had just been broken. Her ankle throbbed as well where Yura had twisted it painfully. She bit back a moan of pain. She would not give Yura the satisfaction of knowing that she was making the huntress suffer.

"Not dead yet, I see," Yura laughed. On anyone else, such a laugh would be regarded as beautiful. But to Kamen, Yura's laugh just made her look all the more cruel.

Hair wrapped around Kamen's neck, just as it had for Kikyou, and squeezed. Kamen felt her vision begin to swim and the air slowly escape from her lungs as she tried to draw more in. She struggled, kicking her feet. She felt the cool slice of a blade on her legs, leaving tiny little nicks.

"Had enough?" Yura laughed.

"Fuck you," Kamen wheezed out as she felt her head lolling. She would not pass out… she would not pass out.

Yura's laugh, like tinkling bells, sounded in her ears, causing her fury to boil within her. If only she could get her hands on the blasted woman, she would make that laugh disappear…

"Get away from me…" Kamen hissed and Yura continued to laugh like Kamen was the funniest thing she'd ever encountered.

Was she going to die here? There was so much she hadn't done. So much she wanted to do. Would she suffer? She was the only one who knew of Kikyou's innocence—apart from Naraku. Would she die and take the reassuring message of Kikyou's purity to the grave? Would Yura make her suffer and beg for death?

Such thoughts were interrupted however when she felt two powerful hands grasp her and yank her upwards. She felt the hairs holding her break away, leaving tiny red marks on her neck painfully. Slung over a shoulder much like a caveman would a giant piece of meat, Kamen was aware of the fact that the red protector that covered the man's butt belonged to Sha. She blinked slowly, wondering why it was that she was staring at his butt in the first place.

"Are you okay, Kamen?" Sha's words interrupted her disjointed thoughts. Kamen blinked, once again slowly, and licked her dry lips. Her mind had been sent into a temporary state of shock. For one thing, she'd just been saved from death by Sha, her partner who, for a majority of the time, was too cocky to give a damn about anyone else but himself. For another thing, he'd just called her by her name—albeit her alias—for the first time. She'd grown so used to being called 'wench' or 'bitch' that being called by her proper alias came to her as a bit of a shock. It was a nice shock, though.

She became aware of the fact that Sha was still calling her name.

"I'm fine," she reassured him as he set her down. She grasped her side and stared up at him. "Where is she?" she hissed out. "Let me at her."

Sha shook his head slowly and moved away from where he'd been blocking Kamen's vision of Yura. The docks were deserted. Yura was gone and along with her… her sister's body. Kamen felt a painful lurch in her stomach. Was Kikyou dead?

She became aware that Sha's fingers were pinching her two cheeks between his hand, forcing her lips to pucker and open. She glared at him, positive that he could feel it through her protective glasses. She could take care of herself. Sha gave her no notice as he poured a pale green liquid into her mouth before clamping her mouth shut.

Instantly she wanted to throw up and spit the liquid in her partner's face. She understood why he was holding her mouth shut now. Painfully, she swallowed the burning liquid and felt it travel down her throat and into her stomach where it continued to burn.

After the initial disgust of swallowing the antidote Sha had offered her, he released his hand and backed away a step, unsure what to do next.

"Thank you," she whispered, feeling the beginnings of tears prickling behind her eyes. She just wanted to go home and cry.

"It's fine, Kamen…" she heard him murmur. She wasn't sure why she was so thrilled to hear him use her alias again.

She stared up at him, a world of relief in her eyes. Even though he couldn't see it, Kamen was sure that Sha understood. He gave her a curt nod and scooped her up, cradling her like a child in his arms.

"Let's get you back to headquarters. Sango will want to hear what happened," he whispered and Kamen nodded in agreement.

Her eyes darted to where her sister had once been and felt her heart drop again. What was going to happen now?

* * *

Just a little clarifier: Last chapter, Naraku was talking to Kikyou, not Kagura, as some of you thought. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Ten**

* * *

"Was the message delivered?" Naraku questioned silkily when he saw two feminine figures filter into his office. He overlooked the city through his window, though no one would be able to make out his stable and dormant pose from down below. He turned to face Kikyou and Yura who both stood.

Both gave a tiny bow. "Yes."

"Does she believe that Kikyou's dead?" he asked Yura. The said girl nodded, her ruby-red lips curving into a rather sinister smile. Naraku's dark crimson eyes flashed dangerously.

"Excellent work, ladies," he murmured, his voice a quiet reassurance to the two. Their shoulders slumped in relaxation, though they still looked tense. "Everything is going as planned."

"Yes sir," the two agreed.

"Those stupid taijiya will come to the docks, of course. They won't resist bait like that," he said as he turned to Kikyou. "Especially coming from someone who was blackmailed into the business."

His lips were a shadow of a smile and Kikyou nodded. "It was easy to convince her."

"Indeed," Naraku murmured. Kikyou mentally sighed, happy that Naraku had yet to make neither the connection between Kikyou and Kamen… nor the connection between Kagome and Kamen. No doubt the Ring Leader was still observing the Higurashi family, searching for something that he could use, as he had with the eldest Higurashi daughter.

"I'm surprised that Kamen was so gullible," Yura boosted, rather pleased with the outcome down at the docks. "What did you tell her to make her believe you so quickly, anyway?" Yura questioned Kikyou. Kikyou smiled a secretive smile that she was often known to use. She didn't answer and Yura blew out a breath of air—signaling her irritation. "And that stupid pet of hers was more than eager to listen to Kamen," Yura supplied, quickly moving away from Kikyou. "It's pathetic."

"Yes," Naraku mused. "Kamen does have Inuyasha on quite a short leash. But I wonder… for how long?"

He chuckled while his two minions observed him silently.

* * *

"Kagome…!" whined a tiny voice in her right ear. Kagome shifted in her sleep, pulling the blankets that covered her body closer to her chin. She turned away, trying to distance herself from the tiny voice that wasn't leaving her alone. "Kagome…"

When the voice calling her name punctuated her whimpers with a tiny sob, Kagome allowed herself to awaken from the sleep she'd restlessly tried to save. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, Kagome leaned over and clicked on the lamp on her bedside table.

Instantly, her room was cast into a warm, pinkish glow. Blinking her bright blue eyes, Kagome shifted her attention to her younger sister, who stared up at her earnestly, crystalline tears decorating the corners of her eyes.

"Rin…" Kagome sighed, dragging her fingers through her hair. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I had a nightmare," Rin whispered, her bottom lip quivering as she stared up at her older sister with a look of unhinged admiration shinning in the brown depths.

Kagome sighed and scooted to the left, opening the side of her twin bed up to her sister who quickly seized the opportunity to clamor into her sister's bed. She snuggled deeply into the already warmed quilt and burrowed herself in Kagome's large down pillow. Kagome laughed quietly as she watched her sister.

She felt tired. She'd just returned from the docks and the last thing she wanted to do was stay up and talk with Rin. Her window was still open from where she'd snuck in. The wind rustled the curtains tenderly and swept her room with a light, refreshing breeze.

Blue eyes stared out the glass of the window as she ran her hand over Rin's small head, trying to comfort her tiny sister from the nightmare she'd experienced. Kagome never understood why Rin never ran to their mother, but she accepted that Rin looked up to her and always made a point to listen to the little girl when she told Kagome about something she'd experienced in her dreams.

Outside, the world was dark save for the distant lights of Tokyo that twinkled like bright stars. The wind rustled the boughs of the God Tree serenely and the branch closest to her window tapped on it gently like a warm, inviting neighbor asking for solace from the night air.

"What happened in your nightmare?" Kagome sighed as she patted her sister on the back.

"It wasn't the nightmare that scared me so much…" whispered Rin as her brown eyes darted to the door and she bit her lips hesitantly. "Someone was outside my window."

"What?" Kagome sat up so fast it was a wonder she didn't get whiplash. "Someone was outside your window? Who? When? Why?"

Rin was quivering and stared up at her older sister. Kagome rose and made to move towards the door. Rin cried out, insisting that her sister not leave her. Kagome frowned and captured the lamp on her bedside, ripping it from its socket and brandishing it like a weapon. She held out her other hand to Rin, who gratefully took it.

"Who was outside your window, Rin?" Kagome snapped out angrily, her blue eyes narrowed in determination to protect her only little sister.

"I don't know," sniffled Rin, her brown eyes watering at the fact that her sister was distressed. "I didn't see."

Kagome crept to her sister's room and gently pushed Rin towards her bed, telling her to duck down below. If the person outside the window was still there, then she didn't want Rin to see anything. She grasped the lamp and stared out the window, trying to see in the darkness.

She clenched her jaw and slammed the window open, poking her head out and staring beyond. There wasn't anything near Rin's window—no tree, like Kagome's, and no platform of anything of the sort that could allow someone a vantage point to look in on Rin. That left one thing, the person had been on the roof and had dropped down onto Rin's windowsill.

With a nimble swing, Kagome lifted herself onto the roof, crouching like the ninja she was trained to be. She narrowed her eyes and looked around, searching for the dark figure of peeping tom. She saw nothing.

She returned to Rin a short while later, he eyebrows furrowed.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Rin sniffled out and Kagome nodded without a second thought. Rin happily followed after Kagome and snuggled into her elder sister's bed.

"Goodnight, Rin."

"Wait, Kagome," Rin cried out, grasping the fabric of her sister's pajama top. Kagome glanced at her curiously; silently asking her to clarify why it was that she could not go to sleep just yet. "Can I tell you about my dream?"

Kagome cracked a smile. Rin did love to talk about dreams. She nodded her head.

"I was on a cloud—it was one of those pretty white clouds, yeah?" She waited for Kagome to nod before continuing. "It was soft and warm, so I feel asleep. But when I woke up, Mama was there. She gave me an envelope and walked away, disappearing in the cloud. I opened the envelope and it was a party invitation!"

Kagome laughed along with her sister and Kagome tickled the little girl's sides until she squealed with laughter. Their moment was interrupted, however, when a large knocking sounded on the wall opposite them.

"Shut up!" Came Souta's muffled voice as he banged on the paper-thin walls. "Sensible people are trying to sleep."

"Ah, baby brother, you know I'm not sensible!" Kagome chirped out happily and Rin giggled gleefully.

She heard Souta grumble before he shouted out, "I have a math test tomorrow!"

"Big whoop, I have school tomorrow, too."

She heard Souta snort. "Kagome…!" he whined. "Just let me sleep."

"Never!" Kagome laughed.

She heard Souta groan again.

* * *

"You know," Kagome declared quietly before class the next day. She tapped her pencil against her notebook and stared at the young man beside her with a tiny smile curving her lips upwards. "I just realized something?"

Inuyasha, who until that moment hadn't really been listening to Kagome and had just contented himself with staring at the way the sun reflected off her ebony black hair, raised his golden eyes to her blue eyes, a question hidden in them.

"What?" he voiced.

Kagome's smile widened and her cheeks flushed pink. She looked pretty like that, Inuyasha found himself remarking silently to himself. Kagome had a habit of looking cute when he least suspected it—but he really couldn't do much with her adorable nature, simply because she was way out of his league. That, and lately his mother had been plaguing his mind. The last thing he needed was someone close to him disappearing. It really wasn't Kagome's fault, and he wished he could work the nerves to actually ask her out, or something. But he had no experience with girls. And that made him feel like a loser, which, evidently, he probably was. But that didn't seem to faze Kagome when she spoke to him.

"Your hair's longer than mine," Kagome said, laughter laced in her voice. Inuyasha's eyebrows shot upwards, hiding beneath his black bangs. He stared at her, his amethyst eyes glimmering in the bright sunlight.

"That's what you realized?" he questioned sardonically. Kagome laughed at his expression and nodded. He frowned at her affirmative answer. "So what?"

"So I think it's funny," Kagome said. Inuyasha's frown deepened. "Not a ha-ha funny," she said quickly, jumping to reassure him when she registered his frown. "Just a… 'Oh, look at this' funny. Do you know what I mean?"

The look on his face told her that he didn't.

She sighed. "I just think your hair's… cool," Kagome said with a tiny shrug before her cheeks turned pink and she turned away, staring at her notebook like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Huh."

"'Huh' what?" Kagome questioned.

Inuyasha tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling and tapping the eraser on the tip of his pencil against his pursed lips. He balanced his chair on the two back legs and saw Kagome glance at his chair's position warily, obviously thinking he would fall over at any moment. He didn't move to correct himself. He wouldn't. Not to toot his own horn, but he believed himself to be quite the reflex master.

"Well," Inuyasha drawled out, purposefully spacing his words out as he thought. "Your hair's shinier than mine."

"So?"

"So what?" Inuyasha challenged.

The two stared at each other.

"You're not making any sense."

"So?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Stop that," she commanded, though she still looked rather amused, if not a little bit confused at the way their conversation had progressed. Inuyasha chuckled.

At that moment the professor walked in, placing his briefcase on his desk and drawing attention to the class. Inuyasha righted himself in his seat and Kagome sat up a bit straighter, her pencil poised to jot down the notes. The professor dove right back into his lecture, as he always did, and his students listened, trying to pick out the important things he spoke about.

Inuyasha frowned thoughtfully when he realized that, for the first time, he actually understood and comprehended what his professor was talking about. Whether it was because they were finally leaving the Meiji era, or it was just dumb luck, Inuyasha wasn't sure, but he was thrilled nevertheless.

* * *

"_In international news, various demon attacks in Seoul yesterday—leaving fifteen humans dead—lead the South Korean government to install various anti-demon laws. Officials claimed that these laws, all known as the STARS Act, would increase security for the humans while protecting mankind from any demon attack. In other news, the Ring Leader has been sighted in the Tokyo area and residents are advised not to leave their home after midnight. Prime Minister Musou strongly urges citizens to remain on high alert—"_

Whatever the news report was going to say after that, Inuyasha didn't know. He reached over and clicked off his radio and his apartment was shrouded in silence. It was dark in his house save for the glimmering lights that shown through his window. He hadn't drawn the curtain yet and he found no need to. His lips were pursed and he was staring lazily at the wall, absorbing what the news report had said.

The STARS Act? He'd never heard for it, but he imagined that it stood for something. He tilted his head and allowed it to loll against the pillows he was resting against. He heard creaking and knew that the person above him was moving around. He pursed his lips and sighed gently. People were dying every day. He knew it was bad, but being in the taijiya—albeit against his will—had really opened his eyes to the world around him.

Naraku was a shape shifter. He could be anywhere at this very moment. He could be anyone. He could be doing who knows what and no one could monitor him. The taijiya barely had a grip on him. The Demon Hunters, Sango had told him, were a noble and ancient confederation. No one had breached their security since the very beginning. They had since then long surpassed their ancestors. Within their sterile walls they held unfathomable technology that even the Japanese government wasn't aware of.

Inuyasha knew this because they still referred to Naraku as the Ring Leader. _He_ knew the man's name. The entire squad knew the man's name. It seemed that the taijiya was holding crucial information. But why?

He leaned over and clicked the radio on again.

"_These restrictions will take place next Tuesday, Prime Minister Musou said in a press conference this morning, and will stay in place until further notice. He has placed Japan under martial law. With the assistance of the United States, the prime minister hopes to eliminate the demon problem from Japan once and for all."_

Inuyasha snorted. "What about the taijiya?" he asked the radio. "We're better than the Americans any day."

The radio continued talking—seeing as how it couldn't hear him speaking. _"When asked about the elusive and legendary demon exterminators, however, the prime minister nearly stated that 'my loyalty lies in those I can see'. When asked to elaborate, the prime minister had no further comments."_

Inuyasha slammed his radio off and rolled his eyes. Just because you could see something didn't mean it was trustworthy. It didn't mean that they, the taijiya, weren't there.

* * *

"I've figured out what he's after," Kamen said the next day. He could hear the pride in her voice and looked up from where he'd been supplying one of his compartments with more eye drops. The demons they were facing had a habit of spitting acid in his face and the purifying liquid in the drops serviced as an excellent way to prevent blindness.

"Who's after what?" Inuyasha questioned slowly, his golden eyes blinking up at her.

Kamen looked as if she'd just bitten into something sour. She sighed dramatically and threw a pile of papers at him. They started to fly away from one another but he quickly grabbed it and packed it back into its large, sophisticated looking pile.

"_Naraku_, of course," Kamen said. Inuyasha could have sworn he saw her roll her eyes but couldn't really tell. It was hard to make out her eyes through the thick, tinted glass of her goggles—and she still refused to take them off. He figured there was some weird deformity hiding under there.

"Okay, what's he after?" Inuyasha questioned, flipping through the large pile Kamen had thrown at him. His eyebrows knitted together and he licked his dry lips, trying to summarize what he was reading quickly.

Kamen grunted angrily and jerked the pile away from him, quickly flipping through the offending papers before coming upon the page she'd been searching for. Plucking it from the pile, she threw it towards him. Inuyasha and Kamen both watched the paper flutter haphazardly in the air before Inuyasha snatched it from the air.

He looked at her before glancing down towards the paper. The page was a diagram of what looked like a large machine stolen from a clichéd and lame Sci-Fi movie. His eyes lifted to Kamen again, his eyebrows arching.

"And what the fuck is this?" he questioned, pursing his lips.

"It's an A class BWATE concentration gradient canon," she said smoothly as if discussing the weather.

Inuyasha's brows furrowed further. "What the hell is a Buh-what concentration gradient?"

"It's BWATE," Kamen said sharply. "Not Buh-what."

"Okay, but what the hell is it?"

"Biological Warfare and Technical Engineering concentration gradient," Kamen said tensely. "It was developed by the Russians fifty years ago. It sends a concentrated beam through a plotted area. The Russians were planning on using it for biological warfare, to spread smallpox and anthrax." Kamen paused and looked like she'd bitten into something sour again. "It was left in a Bio Safety Lab level 4 for years by the Americans. Unfortunately, the United Nations and Biological Weapons and Toxin Convention voted for relocation due to the United State's… desperation."

"Desperation?" Inuyasha whispered.

Kamen looked distressed. "The demons are worse in America than here. The death count has already surpassed five hundred thousand. They'll be past one million by the end of the year at the rate it's going. The American government wanted to spread smallpox throughout America after vaccinating the humans. But demons are immune to smallpox, so it would be pointless and could cause a global wipeout of the human race should the disease spread to unvaccinated areas."

Silence rang as Inuyasha absorbed this information. He bit his lip and stared down at the BWATE. It didn't look menacing down on the paper he held, but he could tell that if Naraku got his hands on the machine, it could lead to something he'd wanted all along. His fist clenched and he nearly crushed the paper in his grip.

"We have to stop him," he said firmly.

"We're going to be the lookouts," Kamen said with a nod. "The Taijiya will be posted around the docks—the government has requested our assistance. We're to call in should Naraku make his appearance."

"But…" a thought struck Inuyasha. "Can we trust the government?"

"What are you talking about?" Kamen snapped.

"Well… the prime minister said so himself—you can only trust what you see. Have we ever seen our employer? No. What if…"

"Just stop," Kamen snapped out. "Nothing is the matter with the government, if that's what you're thinking. They're dispelling the rumors of us in order to protect our identity. If word got out that the Demon Hunters really existed, _everyone_ would be calling on us to solve their tiny demon problems. We'd become disposable like the police force. That's not something we want."

"Oh…" Inuyasha felt foolish. Kamen nodded.

"After we settle it, the police will arrive to back us up," she said angrily. She seemed rather frustrated with the idea of the local police force helping out. She didn't say anything about it, though.

"Are you…?"

"Get ready. We leave in fifteen minutes," Kamen said firmly, cutting the man off. She left the room and Inuyasha quickly gathered his things. He touched the hilt of Tessaiga at his side and frowned. He'd been training with Tessaiga for what seemed like ages now and he had no results with the sword. Sesshoumaru's words of mastering the sword still rang in his ears… but what could his brother possibly be talking about?

Fifteen minutes later, the two demon hunters were jumping from rooftop to rooftop towards the docks.

"They're shipping it at night to keep attentions away," Kamen supplied in Inuyasha's ear as she clung to his back. Inuyasha nodded his head and tucked his hands beneath her knees, holding her tight to his back as he moved fluidly towards the harbor.

His golden eyes moved towards the sky, his orbs sweeping over the murky sky—the intense light of Tokyo drowned out the natural light of stars and only the brightly shinning stars ever appeared in the nightly sky. Venus burned in the sky near the horizon. Inuyasha's eyes locked on the waning moon. The new moon was approaching and the fingernail of a moon hung in the sky, silently mocking him.

Once they came to the docks, Kamen motioned to a lone bell tower hanging not far away, its clock face old and forgotten. Long ago, it had been used by the dock workers and the captains of boats in order to move in time. Thirty years ago, the clock had broken and the bell had stopped ringing, but no one bothered to fix it. The resounding demon problem was more pressing than some ridiculous bell tower that looked as if it had been stolen from England.

Inuyasha kicked open the side door that led to the interior of the clock. Inside, cogs and gears—rusted over from years of neglect—cast shadows on the ground. The moon outside cast its pearly, unearthly light through a broken window on the opposite side of the clock.

Kamen perched herself behind the clock and stared at it for a moment. Her hand passed over it, dragging years of dirt and dust with it. She pursed her lips and quickly punched at the translucent glass, shattering it. She pulled away and nodded firmly—she could see the docks now.

She pressed a finger to her ear and turned on her communicator. "Kamen here. No sign of him or the ship."

Inuyasha sat down beside her and punched his own hole in the clock's dirty glass. He stared at the docks below. The water lapped at the wooden pier innocently and harbored boats rocked against the water's influence. He sighed and crossed his legs and rested his head against his hands, his elbows planting themselves on his knees.

Kamen eyed him for a moment—at least, he thought she did, it was hard to tell—before turning her head back towards the makeshift window. "We'll be here a while."

Her voice soothed Inuyasha, even though he wasn't sure why. Her words had been harsh, but he'd heard the underlying gentleness in her voice. She tried her hardest to hide it, he realized, but he could hear it. His dog ears twitched towards her and quivered at her whispered words. Kamen was a good person. Why she hid it, Inuyasha wasn't sure.

He was positive she wasn't a harsh person. The memory of her hands touching his back when he protected her rang clear through his mind's eye. There were instances when he could tell that Kamen was a good person, when she was kind and caring. Why did she hide it?

Darkness save for the filtered moonlight shrouded their movements in mystery. When they spoke to one another it was in hushed voices, their muted voices barely decipherable. The moon seemed to illuminate Inuyasha's golden eyes and Kamen found her gaze constantly drawing to the primal orbs in the darkness.

She tried harder to keep her eyes trained on the docks, searching for some sign of demonic life. Five minutes past three Kamen spotted the ship moving into harbor. She watched its progress towards the docks. The freight moved through the water like a ghost, the water gently lapping against its sides but so eerily silent nevertheless.

Movement flickered out of the corner of her eye and she saw her taijiya brethren move to position, their own eyes scooping over the docks. From their vantage point, Inuyasha and Kamen watched the ship dock and drop anchor.

"No sign of Naraku," Kamen whispered into her communicator. Inuyasha's eyes swept over the taijiya. His eyes narrowed as he sniffed the air, scenting it for any sign of demonic presence.

"Wait," he whispered to Kamen and grasped her shoulder, moving her to his broken hole. Kamen pursed her lips in frustration but heeded to his words. She peeked towards where Inuyasha pointed.

"What is it?" she whispered out angrily.

"Those taijiya…" he murmured, ignoring Kamen's tone. "They have scents."

Kamen's eyes widened and she took a step away from the window. She flipped on the communicator. "Squad seven, report your positions."

Kamen stood, tense, and Inuyasha watched her. No voice sounded and she cursed quietly.

"Squad seven, report your positions!" she snapped out, finding the thick claws of panic grasping her insides. She felt Sha's eyes on her but ignored it.

"Squad one? Can you read me?" Still no answer. "Squad two?" This continued on with no answers as Kamen tried fruitlessly to contact all fifteen of the squads.

Inuyasha watched her silently, momentarily breaking away to gaze out the clock face at the taijiya who were slowly moving towards the ship. He stood and moved towards her.

"They're Naraku's," he said firmly. Kamen looked at him, her eyebrows knitting and her lips turned downwards. Her aura thrived and pulsed. She was distressed, he could tell. "They've probably gotten to all the squads and knocked them out."

"The police should be here by now…" Kamen said worryingly.

"They're not coming," Inuyasha said firmly, his golden eyes narrowing. "Naraku must have gotten to them already. They obviously don't know we're up here. It's best we leave it that way."

Kamen nodded and together they moved towards the clock again, gazing outwards towards the ship. The fake taijiya were assisting the crew. There was no sign of the BWATE.

"What are we going to do?" Inuyasha murmured.

"We can't do much of anything," Kamen whispered back. "They outnumber us."

"Flash bombs?" Inuyasha suggested.

"They'll blind you, too. I need you," she said firmly before realizing what she'd said. She clapped her lips shut and her cheeks turned a bright red. Inuyasha felt something pulse through his chest and felt his own face turn red. Kamen coughed.

"Silencing bombs, then?" he questioned, pretending not to have heard her slip. Even if it were in the fighting sense that Kamen 'needed' him for, it still had a large impact on the two. The mounting tension in the tower could have been severed with a knife.

Kamen shook her head. "Silencing bombs don't work well on a large group of demons. They can still communicate, even without sound."

"Well I don't see you suggesting anything," Inuyasha snapped out. Kamen huffed. Inuyasha snarled.

"Keep your voice down," Kamen instructed.

"Fuck you," he snapped out. He hated being bossed around.

Kamen shoved him and he took a couple steps backwards, his back hitting against the rusty cogs. They groaned under his sudden presence. Kamen and Inuyasha watched in horror as the minute hand on the clock moved downwards—sending out a resounding squeak, signaling the years of neglect the clock had suffered.

The silence that followed was thicker than the tension. Inuyasha darted forward and captured Kamen's wrist, dragging her around the cogs and gears. He pulled her quickly and they retreated to a corner. He squatted, pushing on her shoulder so that she did the same.

They sat quietly. "This is all your fault," Kamen hissed.

"You're the one that shoved me, wench," he snarled.

"Oh, we're back to the wench thing, are we?" she snapped out.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Inuyasha demanded, his ears pressed to hear the slightest noise of demons appearing to investigate the clock's sudden—albeit short—revival after years of disservice.

"You called me Kamen the night Yura attacked Kikyou," Kamen jeered. "Am I not worthy of a name anymore?"

"Will you be quiet?" Inuyasha barked, his golden eyes flashing in the darkness like a wild animal's. Kamen was undaunted by the intense, primal look.

"No, answer me." She looked determined and her aura pulsed angrily.

"They're going to find us if you don't shut up," he growled.

"Answer me and I'll shut up."

"What am I supposed to be answering now?"

"Why don't you call me by my name?"

"I don't know your name."

"That's not the point."

"Yes it is."

"You're being childish."

"You're being stupid."

Kamen's eyes narrowed and she fisted a hand.

"You going to hit me now, _Kamen_?" he hissed, his eyes narrowing as he glared at her. He dared to smirk at her and his dark eyebrows arched towards his hairline.

"Shut up," she hissed heatedly.

A large creak below signaled the demon's approached. Kamen obviously hadn't heard it because she kept talking to him.

"Aren't you going to answer me, you jerk? Why don't you ever call me by my name, huh? Sure, it's an alias but—"

"Shut up!" he barked.

"No! Not until you answer me."

"You don't understand you moron." Inuyasha's nostrils flared and he grasped her biceps. Her eyes narrowed as he flung her against the wall and rotated so that he blocked her from the door. They were nestled in the shadows and partially behind a large cog. "You need to keep your mouth shut."

"You think you can boss me around?" Another creak below. Kamen still hadn't heard. Inuyasha silently cursed her stupid human ears. "I want you to—"

Whatever it was that Kamen wanted Inuyasha to do, the hanyou would never know. Kamen wasn't shutting up and it was up to him to prevent her from getting them both killed. He grasped her arms tighter and shoved her against the wall. Her lips opened in a silent gasp but it never left her lips.

He titled his head and pressed his mouth against hers. He felt her stiffen and miko energy surge through her. She was about to blast him, he knew. But at that moment the door slammed open and two demons entered the bell tower.

"I'm telling you, it's probably just some rats," the taller one croaked as he shuffled along the floor. He wore a taijiya outfit he'd undoubtedly taken from an unsuspecting scout. He waddled along the bell tower, searching around for the two who were safely hidden. "Besides, if there had been anyone up here, they'd be long gone by now."

"Then why isn't there any sign of escape?" the second, squatter demon gargled.

"Right here," the first said and motioned to the two windows Kamen and Inuyasha had made earlier. "They're gone by now. They probably left while we were climbing up here."

The second one regarded the windows the two had made. Inuyasha hesitantly pulled away from Kamen's lips. He stared at her and felt her gaze locked on him. He felt raw under her intense gaze.

He raised a hand and pressed a finger to his lips, signaling her to remain silent. Kamen nodded, her bottom lip quivering. He stared at her slightly parted lips. He closed his own lips. He'd just kissed Kamen.

'_Well, it's hardly a first kiss,_' a voice in his head whispered. _'You did it so that she'd just shut her damn trap. If you hadn't, you would have died.'_

He silently agreed with his inner thoughts and crept along the wall, pulling Kamen against his chest so that she was completely covered by his taller and wider body. He'd done it to protect her—their relationship was strictly business. At most they had platonic feelings for one another, but that was it. Besides, their relationship was anything but unhealthy. Neither of them knew the other's identity.

"Let's get out of here," the taller demon snarled and marched towards the door. "They're long gone. Let's get what Naraku wanted and just get the hell out of here before they show up with more hunters."

"Good idea," the second muttered and followed after his companion, limbs swinging as he moved.

Inuyasha and Kamen didn't dare move until they were positive that the two were gone. They both heaved sighs of relief.

"Sorry," he heard Kamen muttered and turned to look at her. She looked bashful. It was hard to tell without seeing the upper part of her face. "I should have shut up."

"Yeah," he agreed. He flashed her a hesitant smile. "But it's okay. We're fine. Let's go."

"Right," Kamen agreed and moved towards him. He tensed up, afraid she would punish him for kissing her earlier. But instead she grasped his wrist and dragged him towards the door the two had exited out of. "Flash bombs will have to do. It will blind them and give me enough time to infest the area with sleeping powder. Put on your gasmask."

He hated being told what to do, but obediently slipped on his gasmask, hiding his mouth and nose from view. His golden eyes glittered fervently as he moved downwards with Kamen.

"You'll only go blind for a little while. Your eyes aren't as sharp as a demon's, so you'll regain vision before them. It should be fine, though, you'll be able to smell anyone coming towards you."

"Yeah," he agreed, but still felt uneasy. He watched Kamen switch a small knob on the side of her goggles. She was probably switching the vision to a level that wouldn't blind her.

She must have sensed his question. "Infrared. It won't blind me since the flash bombs are only light, not heat."

"Yeah," he agreed again.

They reached the bottom. Kamen released his wrist and pressed herself against the wall. She fiddled with the compartment in her elbow pad before extracting a golf ball sized ball. It was canary yellow and glowed in Kamen's hand. She clamped both hands over it.

"Throw the door open at my signal and I'll throw it," she instructed.

There was a moment's silence between them.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

"Three… two… one…" Kamen's voice seemed to pass through one ear and go out the other. Once she reached zero and pressed her thumb into the button on top of the golf-ball sized flash bomb and it began to glow brightly with the beginnings with a full blown, blinding light, Inuyasha threw the door open.

She threw it with all her might into the center of demons as they assisted the crew. The crew had moved the BWATE canon to the top deck, preparing to have it moved to the docks.

Inuyasha watched as the canary yellow ball glowed brightly and released a large flash. It continued to glow and engulfed the entire area with blinding light. Inuyasha felt his pupils contract into tiny slits in an attempt to keep him from going blind. He screamed in agony as he was bombarded by the light.

As he fell to the ground, his world thrown into a resounding darkness, he felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder before he felt feet move away from him and the distant cries of Kamen as she fought against writhing demons.

He wanted, at that moment, more than anything to go and help her. He had a bad feeling.

Right and left he heard bodies dropping to the ground. He felt the grainy substance of the sleeping powder nestling on his face. He clenched his eyes shut. The sleeping powder was useless unless it entered the body—whether it be through inhalation or penetration, or going through the eye. It didn't matter. He would not fall asleep and leave Kamen completely alone.

He sensed her aura as she moved fluidly. He was still in a dark world, blinded by the flash bomb's blast. He rolled his head to the side blindly and pressed his dog ear against the ground, listening to the vibrations of Kamen's footsteps as she moved towards her goal.

* * *

After what felt like an eternity—but could have very well have been only fifteen minutes—Inuyasha felt vision returning to him. He lifted himself up as the world came into steady focus.

The first thing he noticed was that Kamen was next to him. She knelt beside him, her lips curved in the tiniest smile he'd ever seen. She held out a hand to him and he hesitantly took it. She hauled him up and flung his arm over her shoulder.

Guiding him like a dog does the blind, Kamen shuffled Inuyasha towards the freight. The crew were all lying against the wall of the ship, knocked out by Kamen's sleeping powder.

"You'll regain full sight soon," Kamen's voice soothed. Her aura pulsed and he felt comforted by her presence. "The canon is safe. I've called Sango and she'll be here soon."

A slow clapping punctuated the silence of the docks. Kamen whipped around, bringing Inuyasha with her. Inuyasha's golden eyes tried to focus but the world was still a dull blur of colors.

"My, my, my," came a ringing, dull voice. The hair on the back of Inuyasha's neck stood on end and he snarled. A disgusting, all too familiar scent wafted past his nose. "I am rather impressed. To think that a mere… human could take on all those… disposable creatures."

Naraku stepped out of the darkness and he strolled towards Kamen and Inuyasha as if they were old friends. He stopped his sardonic clapping and stared at the two, his lips drawn in a thick smirk.

"I'm sorry to say… but it's not much of an accomplishment."

"What are you doing here?" Kamen hissed.

"Well, I'm offended," Naraku chuckled coldly, his crimson eyes flashing dangerously. "I went to all that effort to draw you two here and you don't even pretend to be happy to see me. Tsk."

"What do you want?" Kamen snarled.

"Demanding little bitch, aren't you?" Naraku remarked coldly, his scarlet eyes narrowing. "But if you must know… I'm here to gain something that I didn't have before."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha spoke this time. He stared at the blur that he thought was Naraku. It was hard to tell. Unbeknownst to him, he was staring slightly off to the right instead of directly at Naraku.

"Don't you think it's… strange that Kikyou was so eager to tell you all about her blackmailing after years of protecting her family from harm? Such a move could very well have killed her entire family."

"No," Inuyasha heard Kamen gasp.

"That's right, I lured you here."

"But what for?" Kamen demanded.

"A true genius never gives away all his tricks," Naraku counseled, punctuating his sentence with a cold chuckle. "Hand over… Sha… if you know what's good for you."

"Never," Kamen snapped, clutching Inuyasha. He felt her hands holding him firmly to her and his own hand tightened on her waist. He drew her closer, feeling himself drawing strength from her. When had he become so connected to her? Why was she so protective of him now?

"How quaint, you've grown attached to one another," Naraku whispered, his eyes flashing. "A mistake you will both soon regret, I'm afraid."

He stalked towards them, his hair and cloak billowing out behind him. Kamen stood her ground and drew her dagger, pointing it towards Naraku's heart. Naraku slowed his pace and stared at the silver dagger, which quivered in Kamen's hand. He smirked wickedly.

"Move aside, girl," he snarled. Kamen held her ground.

"Sha," he addressed the hanyou, though he still eyed the dagger. "Kindly tell Kamen to release you… lest you wish for her to turn out like your mother. A gruesome fate."

Inuyasha snapped to attention. He tensed.

"Don't listen," Kamen urged. "He just wants you to get riled up."

Inuyasha didn't listen. Instead, he shoved Kamen away. His vision was blurring red, but he didn't care. He could make out Naraku now, he could make out the Ring Leader's triumphant face.

"What did you do to her?" he whispered, and was only slightly surprised by how cold his voice had become.

"Nothing… yet," Naraku chuckled.

"What have you done?" Inuyasha's grainy voice demanded.

"Sha!" Kamen shouted. Inuyasha still ignored her, shoving her away again when she made a grab for him.

"You think so little of me," Naraku laughed. Inuyasha snarled, gritting his teeth together. His lips drew back in a disgusted snarl and he spat at the Ring Leader.

Inuyasha's vision was going red and he clenched his fists. He charged towards Naraku but was quickly detoured when a tentacle shot out from under his cloak and wrapped around Inuyasha's throat. He choked, clawing at the slimy appendage.

Naraku laughed again, his blood red eyes flashing as he stared at the struggling hanyou.

"You pathetic little ant," Naraku chuckled. "You're nothing… and yet you think that you can stand against me. You've developed a fundamental Stockholm Syndrome, you pathetic creature. They captured you and held you here against your will, and yet you willingly help them."

"You took my mother…" Inuyasha whispered, choking. "You killed my father… You killed Kamen's father. I won't forgive you."

Naraku smirked. "Filled with self-righteousness, are we? How adorable."

"Sha!" Kamen called again, fisting her dagger as she charged toward the tentacle. She hacked at the limb with all her might, finally dislodging Inuyasha. He dropped to the ground and Kamen scrambled to him, helping him to his feet.

"I haven't got time for games." Naraku sent a tentacle towards Kamen and it wrapped around her middle before hauling her off the ground. She released a small yelp of surprise as the dagger clattered to the boat's deck. "Give me what I want, Inuyasha, or the bitch dies."

Inuyasha tensed. He snarled. "Fine."

"Excellent."

"Sha, no!"

A tentacle shot out and pierced Inuyasha's chest. He gasped in pain as the tentacle seemed to claw in his chest cavity before drawing out. Blood drizzled down his front and he clasped a hand over his front, trying to block the blood flow.

Naraku stepped forward and captured his blood in a glass vial. He smirked and pocketed the jar happily.

"It's been a pleasure," Naraku drawled before sending Inuyasha against the wall with Kamen not far behind him. Sirens were sounding in the distance and Naraku laughed dryly. "I'll be seeing you two very, very soon."

With a flash he was gone just as police cars screeched onto the scene. Inuyasha felt fear seize him. The police force didn't know of the taijiya's existence. They were only instructed to come to the docks after the canon was protected. Inuyasha's head whipped towards the canon. It was gone. Naraku must have taken it.

The police exited their cars and stomped onto the boat. They stared at the two fallen huntresses. It didn't take long for them to discover what they were. Their clothes were a dead giveaway to what they were—anyone who listened to the legends would recognize them. In a single moment, Sha and Kamen had managed to betray a secret that had been kept secret for centuries.

The police looked ready to arrest the man and woman but a moment later dozens of pellets rained down on them, producing bursts of white smoke. Kamen and Sha, with their gasmasks still in place, were unaffected by the gasses' progress, but soon the police dropped to the ground like flies in a zapper.

Seconds later, Sango dropped to the ground, her body arched like a cat's. She stood to her full height, took one look at the disarray of the two before her and nodded her head to two huntresses standing behind her.

They were saved, but they had failed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Eleven**

* * *

"The government will stop this," was the first thing Sango said to Sha and Kamen once they returned to the headquarters. "They won't allow the media to catch wind of this. It's crucial that we remain anonymous. The police will be silenced."

Kamen collapsed into a seat and Inuyasha sat up on the table covered in butcher paper. He knew that Miroku was undoubtedly on his way—he'd probably wet himself from excitement with the idea of examining Inuyasha again.

True to Inuyasha's prediction, Miroku bustled into the room a couple moments later, a smile plastered on his face. He didn't even bother with formalities. Instead, he just scurried over to Inuyasha.

The cut was still drizzling blood down his chest but it had become a dull ache more than a searing pain now. He peeled off the upper part of his uniform, revealing the small cuts that he'd obtained over the last couple of days which had yet to heal. Save for the black band around his bicep that masked his scent, he was completely naked from the waste upwards.

Sango kept on talking, Miroku continued examining and patching up his chest, Kamen stayed in her chair, and Inuyasha dully watched the ceiling lights flicker.

He had a bad feeling.

* * *

He'd stayed up the entire night. He was never tired anymore, so Inuyasha wasn't concerned that his eyelids didn't even begin to droop. He'd completed a term paper earlier than he normally would have and that, he decided, was a great success.

His radio was on, playing a light tune in the early morning rays as he hit the save button on his computer and printed off his paper. He rested his chin in his hand as he stared blankly out the window, watching as the sun crested over the endless waves of concrete, greeting the new day. Clouds peppered the sky, but they offered no threat of rain.

As the song came to an end on his radio, the young announcer's voice sounded clear, _"Good morning Japan. It's the top of the hour. Today there's a thirty percent chance of rain with high sixties, low fifties."_ As the announcer droned on about the weather, the traffic, and the music coming up in the hour, Inuyasha tried his best to tune it out. That is until the announcer started talking about news, it came after the man mentioned the sudden sickness of cows, the long list of recent disappearances, the monotonous demon attacks on various parts of the city, and more information on the STARS Act.

"_Last night, at approximately three thirty in the morning, security was breeched on a Japanese freight, transporting standard biological warfare machinery. Not long after the ship docked, however, witnesses claimed that they saw figures moving around the docks. For centuries the government has searched for some sign of the elusive taijiya, and last night, their suspicions were confirmed."_

Inuyasha's head whipped up and he stared at his radio as if it had just sworn at him. Sango had said that the government would silence the media. What was this?

"_The captain of the S.S. Venture had this to say,"_ the announcer's voice was cut off and replaced with a grainy, raspy voice belonging to a much older man. _"We knew that the police would be on patrol, making sure that nothing happened to us, but the demon hunters must have gotten to them first, because they showed up after the machine had been stolen. I'd grown up hearing stories of how the demon hunters protected people, but I never suspected them to be in league with the demons."_

Inuyasha stared, shocked.

"_Witnesses were able to identify that the majority of the hunters stealing the machine from the freight were of demonic heritage. The prime minister has yet to make a statement on the issue at hand. It can be confirmed, however, that the hunters openly attacked the crew of the ship as well as the police."_

Inuyasha threw his radio against the wall and it shut off. Whether it was broken or not, Inuyasha wasn't sure, but he really couldn't care less about the outcome of an electronic device. They'd gotten it all wrong. The government had hired them to protect the crew. How could the media get a hold of this? Why couldn't any person see that the hunters had been trying to help, not steal the machine?

The hanyou grasped his jacket and shoved it on. Grabbing his keys, he stomped out of his apartment and moved down the crowded sidewalks of the early morning. He needed to clear his head, and while the city was hardly a breath of fresh air, it was certainly better than staying cooped up in his home.

As he moved, he saw an increased density of policemen. They moved down the sidewalks with the humans, their eyes sharp. Their cars rolled down the streets, following cars. Inuyasha pursed his lips. What was going on?

"Did you hear the news?" he heard people whispering beside them. People gestured towards newspapers, or pointed at televisions inside shop windows. The word of the taijiya was spreading like a wildfire. It was too late to stop the news. They'd have to handle the repercussions. Inuyasha clenched his fists inside his pockets, where he'd shoved them, and continued walking briskly, feeling his fury boil within him.

"It's a pity, really. They would have been better off on our side, don't you agree?"

"I always knew they were bad apples."

"It's truly a shame."

The words rang in his ears, all following the similar vein of it being too bad. Did these people truly believe that the demon hunters were bad people? They'd been trying to protect them. It had been Naraku who'd stolen the machine. Hadn't the police seen him, even for a split second, before he stole the machine and left Kamen and Sha to take the blame?

All around him he could see signs with the same reading: _Protected by the STARS Act_.

He paused in his step and watched a police officer inside a shop with the sign gesturing aggressively to the shop keeper, who trembled slowly. They spoke, their lips moving quickly as they yelled at one another. Finally, the officer moved to a corner and started installing something near the ceiling.

What was the STARS Act anyway? What was going on with his city? His home? Inuyasha hated the foreboding sense within him that just wouldn't go away. Something was strange, and he hated not knowing what.

"We're needed," a voice crackled in his ear. He flinched and several people stared at him as they passed him. He cleared his throat and switched on his communicator so that he could speak to Kamen.

"Where?" he asked lightly, hoping that no one was listening to him seemingly talk to himself.

"Meet me at headquarters," Kamen's voice instructed.

"Right." Silence met this response and he switched off his communicator again, turned on his heel, and headed towards his home to get his uniform.

* * *

"So, where are we going again?" Inuyasha asked Kamen about an hour later after they'd set out to go to wherever it was that 'they were needed'. It was hard for him to imagine that they were actually needed somewhere when the media was currently slandering them.

"The prime minister's office," Kamen spoke after a moment. We're going in through the window. We need to do it quickly so we're not seen."

"We're what?" Inuyasha yelped out only to have Kamen's smooth hand clap over his mouth. He stopped dead in a tangent he was about to go off on.

"I know you don't like it," she said firmly. "But he's requested our presence."

"Asshole," Inuyasha snarled and Kamen nodded her head grimly. No doubt the girl had heard the media's slander as well. "I don't like this, Kamen. Are you sure it's not a trap? What if he's just going to… arrest us once we get there?"

"Since when have humans ever stood a chance against you?" Kamen asked, her lips quirked into a tiny smile. Inuyasha felt his cheeks turn red and he struggled to answer her with some clever and witty response—but it never came. He just stared at her and Kamen stared back (at least he thought she did). "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"Yeah," he agreed, staring at his feet as they moved swiftly towards where the prime minister was waiting in his office. It was hard to be around Kamen, especially after last night at the docks. He was fighting huge currents of emotions. On the one hand, he was pretty sure that he liked Kagome. But on the other there was Kamen. What was a guy supposed to do? He liked both of them.

They reached the meeting place and crouched down on the roof of a building a short distance away. Kamen peered through a set of binoculars and Inuyasha looked behind Kamen, making sure that no one was coming at them from behind. He bit his lip and swiveled his ears, trying to make out anything suspicious from the loud hustle and bustle of the city itself. This was his first time being on a 'mission' in broad daylight. It was odd.

"Let's go," Kamen instructed. She pointed. "He left the window open, as instructed."

"Who's first?" Inuyasha questioned. They couldn't both fit through the window as the same time.

Kamen stood and switched on a button. He watched as the spikes of her ashiko sprouted from the bottom of her boots. The sharp tips were poised to latch onto the wall should the need arise.

"Throw me towards the window, I'll handle the rest," she explained. "You follow after me, and have your gasmask on, just in case." With that instruction, she latched her own over her mouth and nose.

He grasped her wrist and scooped her up into his arms, holding her like a husband did his bride. He stared at her and pursed his lips before pulling on his gasmask, hiding his distraught frown.

"Ready?" he asked her and saw her nod. He tightened his hold on her and pulled himself up to his full height. Edging to the side of the building, he poised and with a mighty heave, threw her forward. Kamen was prepared for it, however, and grasped the side of the building like a cat did a tree. Her ashiko planted themselves in the solid stone of the building and she began crawling up the building's side like a spider.

He watched her progress and waited until she was within the building before backing up a couple of steps. With a running start, he shot himself off one building and landed on the windowsill of the other. He crouched and slunk into the room. Kamen was already standing before the desk of the prime minister. For someone who'd just witnessed two taijiya jump through his window, one of them being very obviously demonic, the prime minister Musou seemed rather calm.

"Welcome," he stated in an overly cheery voice as he stood. He was young, younger than Inuyasha expected. He had dark brown hair and chocolate colored eyes. Nothing was out of the ordinary about him besides his youthfulness and the small mole underneath his left eye. "I'm glad to see you made it here without incident?"

He smiled at them but neither Kamen nor Sha betrayed an emotion. The hanyou followed Kamen's example and kept his face neutral. He was glad that at least his mouth was hidden. Kamen had the privilege of her entire face. She could be sticking her tongue out at him or rolling her eyes and neither her partner nor the prime minister would ever know.

"You called us here, now explain your reasons for our presence," Kamen said coldly. Inuyasha had to admit that Kamen was good at masking her emotions, seeing as how he was once on the receiving end of Kamen's acidic nature.

"Ah, yes," Prime Minister Musou seemed nervous, but he continued smiling. "I'd like to give my… sincerest apologies for… the situation your kind has been placed in."

"Our kind?" Kamen whispered and Inuyasha heard the venom in her voice.

"Er, yes," Musou fidgeted, but his smile never left his face. His chocolate brown eyes, which could have very well have been warm and understanding once, were twin chips of ice. Inuyasha took a step closer to Kamen, and he felt her aura wrap around his. It offered him comfort, even if he wasn't necessarily nervous standing before a young little jerk of a leader.

"You were the one that hired us to protect the BWATE canon," Kamen said sharply. "And now you're placing the blame on us when it was clearly the Ring Leader's doing."

"Well you see…"

"And now you've called us here to simply apologize? You have betrayed the taijiya, who have protected this country for centuries. You have betrayed our secret by refusing to silence your own police officers. So why was it that you're blaming us now? Are the demons not a big enough scapegoat anymore?"

Inuyasha bit his lip, staring at Musou with as much contempt as he could muster. His golden eyes flashed dangerously. He stepped closer to Kamen and placed a hand on the small of her back, trying to calm her down. She looked like she was on the verge of attacking the prime minister, and he figured that the prime minister might openly accept this—seeing as how it would give him a concrete reason to blame the demon hunters.

"Scapegoat… I don't know what you're talking about," Musou said stiffly.

Kamen snorted and Inuyasha glanced at her, impressed by her ability to openly disrespect the minister. It was kind of cool, he had to admit. He kept his face neutral as best he could, however.

"Ha! Surely you've been planning on using the taijiya as soon as possible, haven't you?" Kamen growled out. "You need a good reason as to why the demon problem hasn't been improved at all since you gained office. You can blame it on _us_ because if the demons have increased support, it will be harder to fight, yes?"

Musou's eyebrows furrowed and his iced eyes stared at the two hunters angrily.

"I once again would like to offer my sincerest apologies. But rest assured that you and your kind will come to no harm." Musou's eyes flickered to where Inuyasha's hand disappeared behind Kamen and he quickly dropped it, though he missed the warmth of Kamen's body. "Japan is trying its hardest to protect the people. The STARS Act will hopefully offer more support and protection."

Kamen gave one last dignified snort and strolled towards the window. "This meeting is over." She turned her attention to Inuyasha. "We're going."

"Yes," he agreed and shot one last reproachable look at Musou before falling after Kamen. The girl, using her ashiko, ran down the length of the building and landed on the ground before darting into an alleyway where no one would see her uniform.

Inuyasha made to jump after her when Musou's voice stopped him. "A word please, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha froze and turned his attention back to the prime minister, who looked absolutely thrilled. He frowned deeply. "I don't believe I gave you my name, minister."

"No, surely you didn't," Musou murmured with a large grin. He waved his hand and the window slammed shut. "I'd just like a… word with you before you go along your merry way."

Inuyasha inched towards the other windows, in hopes of finding one open, but they were all locked. He turned his gaze back towards Musou, who looked positively gleeful.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"Just a word," Musou chuckled.

"Word," Inuyasha said dryly. Musou chuckled darkly and swept from behind his desk. His clothes seemed to billow out behind him and his dark brown hair framed his youthful, handsome face as he approached the hanyou. Inuyasha tensed and glared at the man.

"A comedian, I see," Musou whispered, his breath breezing over his face. Musou was too close. He took a step back. He was growing increasingly uncomfortable and knew that Kamen was probably pulling her hair out wondering where he'd gone off to.

"Get away."

"Tsk." Musou frowned and glared at Inuyasha. "Is that anyway to treat the prime minister?"

"What do you want?" Inuyasha demanded.

"I just wanted to know if you'd heard anything about your mother yet, Inuyasha." Musou laughed again and something stabbed Inuyasha in the heart. Not literally, but figuratively speaking it felt like someone had just ripped his vital organs from his chest. He took another step back and clenched his fists, glaring daggers at Musou.

No, not Musou. Suddenly it clicked.

"Naraku," he growled. "What have you done to the prime minister?"

Naraku-not-Musou laughed happily, his chocolate eyes glowing with mirth, though Inuyasha doubted that Naraku truly found all this as funny as he was letting on. His hand grasped the hilt of Tessaiga and he watched the minister's eyes flicker to the sword before locking on Inuyasha again.

"You idiot," he whispered, his laughing voice suddenly gone and replaced with a sinister, cold voice that shook Inuyasha to the core. "I _am_ the prime minister. I always _have_ been the prime minister. These fools of humans can't tell the difference between a true human and a shape shifter."

"No," Inuyasha marveled. "You didn't."

"Ha," Naraku snorted. "I've been bidding my time and finally my time has come. Soon this city will be cast into my complete and total control. How ironic, don't you agree? That those stupid humans' undoing will be thanks to a man they trusted? I find it rather quaint, really."

"You…" Inuyasha trailed off when Naraku locked eyes with him. He felt cold fury surging through him and resisted with all his power not to strangle Naraku.

"I've come to warn you, Inuyasha… That it would be… quite a shame for everyone to suddenly find out who you are, hm?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "I sincerely doubt that your school will be keen on keeping you… and do not I think that your neighbors will feel comfortable having you next door. Come to think of it… I doubt that the STARS Act will allow you to live, should your identity be revealed."

"Are you blackmailing me?" Inuyasha whispered.

"Certainly not… just a friendly warning," Naraku drawled. Inuyasha felt fear seize him. "Do take care, Inuyasha. I'd hate to see you lose your head under such puny things, don't you agree?"

He was shoved towards the window. "I daresay that your master is probably waiting for her pet to return. You should heed his call, yes?"

"She's not my master."

"Of course she's not. It would be a pity if something happened to her, too, though."

"Are you blackmailing me?" Inuyasha repeated, feeling his anger boiling within him.

"I only want you to give me what I want," Naraku drawled.

"And what is it that you want?" Inuyasha demanded to know. Naraku didn't answer him, simply stared at him with a disgusting little smirk on his lips. Inuyasha wanted nothing more than to rip that stupid look off the man's face. Inuyasha moved towards the window. Inuyasha's hand quivered as he reached for the windowpane. It opened under his furious tug.

"Oh, I don't think it needs to be said that this meeting never happened. I trust that you want your mother to remain safe," Naraku said airily. "I'll give you another chance to join my side, Inuyasha. I daresay that you'll be very happy on the winning team."

Inuyasha growled.

"I'll take that as a no, then." With a dainty shove, Inuyasha was falling from the building. He landed briskly and darted to the alleyway. The moment he was shrouded in the darkness, Kamen snapped her hand out and shoved him against the wall.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"He tried to convince me to join him." It wasn't a complete lie. "I guess he probably felt he could get to me with you gone… since you kind of lost your temper up there." He smirked, recalling the memory of Kamen cursing Naraku-not-Musou out.

"What a fool," Kamen said angrily and he felt her aura crackle and burn like a fire. "Thinking that a simple apology will let us forgive him for what he's done. Doesn't he understand what the repercussions will be for his foolish actions?"

"I think he does. But it's like you said… he just needed another scapegoat. By this time tomorrow, the entire world will hate the demon hunters, I figure," Inuyasha whispered, feeling the ridiculous foreboding sense seize him again. Things were looking to be more and more hopeless.

* * *

"Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned hesitantly, as if unsure the boy standing before her was actually her history partner. She'd just retreated down the steps of her shrine home only to see Inuyasha standing there, looking up at the sky blankly, as if he didn't notice the rain splattering off his face.

At the sound of his name being called, however, he moved his head so that deep lavender eyes stared at Kagome. His ebony hair was plastered against the back of his neck and his bangs were flattened over his forehead stupidly. He gave her a tiny, hesitant smile.

"Er, hi Kagome," he whispered, feeling his cheeks turn pink.

Kagome felt her own cheeks turning pink despite herself. She shortened the distance between them and lifted her umbrella and covered the dripping boy with it as well as herself.

"What are you doing out here on a day like this?" Kagome questioned. She didn't bother asking him why he was standing outside her home, she wasn't sure if she'd like the answer or not. Her stomach flopped. Her cheeks turned red.

"Just walking," he said softly with a shrug.

"I was about to head out towards the store. Rin ran out of shampoo again. Um… do you want to come with me?" Kagome asked skeptically, eager for the company, even if it was coming from the boy who seemed slightly out of it that day. She enjoyed Inuyasha's company and she rarely saw him outside of class. It was a nice surprise, albeit unexpected.

"Sure," he agreed and they started moving. Inuyasha stayed under the sanctuary of her umbrella and Kagome tried to ignore the fact that all her blood was relocating itself to her face. Weren't limbs supposed to fall off when cut off from blood supply? Kagome could have sworn that her pinky would fall off at any moment.

"Did you finish the term paper?" Kagome asked conversationally, and Inuyasha nodded. Her hand brushed his and Inuyasha felt his breath hitch in his throat. This was getting ridiculous. He was acting like a pathetic little boy around Kagome and it was wearing thin on his senses.

"Did you?" he asked—or more like squeaked—trying to engage in conversation with the pretty girl standing dangerously close beside him.

Kagome's affirmative nod, instead of informing him, simply captivated all his attention. He watched the way her black locks bounced on her shoulders, curving slightly inwards and swaying as she moved. Her bright blue eyes, a startling contrast to her onyx colored hair, stared up at him.

"Are you okay?" At her words his head snapped forward and he nodded curtly. She bit her lip. "Okay."

Their hands brushed again. Inuyasha felt like his face was going to explode if anymore blood rushed to his cheeks.

It took him a moment to realize that when their hands brushed again, Kagome's fingers seized his and encased his larger hand in her soft grip. He froze, nearly tripping Kagome with his abrupt stop. He stared at her, his eyes bugging out.

Kagome bit her lip, unsure whether his reaction was a positive or negative one. Hesitantly, she ducked her head and released his hand.

"Sorry," she muttered and continued walking. He was quick to follow after her, partly because he wasn't keen on staying out in the rain and partly because he couldn't bear to be away from her for too long.

He bit his lip, watching her hand swinging limply at her side. He wanted more than anything to capture it again. But it nagged his mind. Naraku knew of his identity. He'd threatened him the other day… whether or not that would progress to blackmail had yet to be seen. But, at the same time, he couldn't endanger Kagome.

He watched her profile. She kept her head down and her eyes trained to the ground. He could feel the tension in the air from the shattered moment he'd ruined by his hesitance. But he knew it was for the best. He had to protect Kagome, right? He had to protect her from his other persona—from the life Sha had gotten himself wrapped up in.

He swallowed. His hand twitched. He wanted to hold her near him but it wasn't the right thing to do. He couldn't be selfish in a time like this. He had to keep her interests and her _life_ at heart—if he got in too deep he could seriously endanger Kagome.

And the increasing conflict with Kamen rang in his mind. Kagome was wonderful and the more sensible one to chose, obviously, seeing as how he knew her real name and her real person. But there was something appealing about Kamen as well. How did he even get into this situation? He went a twenty-two year streak of having absolutely no luck with girls—except for high school girls in his college years, but that was something he didn't even consider—to suddenly having two women to choose form? What was a poor guy to do?

He licked his dry lips and he reached out his hand, grasping it in his. He saw Kagome's head tilt to look at him, her face bright red. He offered a tiny smile and she returned it. She looked so incredibly gorgeous in that one moment. Her blue eyes were shining, her black hair, rolling over her shoulders, waved slightly in the breeze. The rain that drizzled around her was almost a startling contrast to how much she seemed to… glow.

He squeezed her hand tightly, aware that he may have just ensured Kagome's death.

* * *

"It's funny," Inuyasha spoke in the semidarkness. He knew that Kamen was there, sitting only a couple feet from him, yet it felt like a thousand miles of separation. He waited for a response from his partner but didn't receive one. He sighed and continued. "How screwed over this country is."

His eyes traced the outline of the waning moon, its pale face disappearing into the inky darkness of the sky. He frowned angrily at the moon, wishing that it was waxing. He shifted so that he was sitting on the side of the building the two sat on, swinging his legs out tiredly, feeling the cool night air.

He felt Kamen move and sit beside him. He smiled at the small comfort and tilted his head towards the ruler of his transformations. He frowned. "I hate the moon sometimes…"

Kamen titled her head, too. She seemed unfazed by his abrupt change of subject. "How come?"

Should he relay the information of his transformations? He figured that she had a right to know—after all, it would be rather hard to explain it to her when one day Kamen called him for a mission and the moon was gone from the sky.

"The new moon marks the time I lose my powers." He already knew that Kamen knew of the hanyou's decrease of power—everyone knew that hanyou lost power once a month, ruled by some supernatural force. The moon or otherwise.

"Hm," Kamen hummed but said nothing more. He was glad for this, because he didn't want pity from her or anyone.

"But at the same time…" His eyes turned wanton as he stared at the face of the moon. "I long for a time when I can actually be called normal. Sure, I'm weak and I feel as if I'd been stripped of everything I need for survival… but I can honestly say that I'm human. That I'm not demonic in anyway. That I'm not evil."

"Only ignorant people believe that all youkai are evil," Kamen whispered gently and her words brought him comfort.

"Yeah, I suppose. It's just that… I'd grown up believing that all demons were evil creatures and that humans were the struggling and valiant race. That humans fought with integrity and that we were good. I was taught that demons were vicious and uncaring, willing to sell anyone out in order to gain power and blood. But now…"

"You know that the world is in war, Sha," Kamen explained gently, like a mother would console her crying child after a nightmare. "When things are strictly black and white. Good or bad."

"Am I black or white?" Inuyasha asked Kamen.

"You're neither."

Inuyasha sighed. "I knew you'd say that." His eyes traveled across the ebony black sky. "I'm a shade of grey, then. I'm demonic… but I'm pretty certain that I'm not evil. At least, I hope not. I mean, I'm human, too. So what am I?"

"People are unwilling to see the different shades," Kamen agreed. "Things are never strictly black and white." Inuyasha agreed with a nod. "But no one is willing to see that. We succumb to the rumors and stereotypes, putting all our trust into something that could possibly be wrong and biased."

"What are we then?" he questioned. "Some see us as evil while others don't."

"Without evil there is nothing to measure good against. Without good, there is nothing to measure evil against. One cannot live without the other. We need both to stay balanced." Kamen turned her head and smiled at him. "We need an equal balance. A Yin and a Yang."

"Ying-yang," Inuyasha whispered, swinging his legs. He watched the pale white surface of the moon. White—purity. But at that moment, the moon seemed like the evilest thing he'd ever seen. Perhaps there was still a lot he needed to learn.

They lapsed into silence, their eyes watching the sky for signs of life. The moon smiled down at them but no stars dared to breech the intense light of Tokyo. Inuyasha sighed and rested backwards, swinging his legs and resting his weight on his hands. Slowly, Kamen followed suit and he felt her fingers brush his as he got comfortable. He felt a surge through him much like with Kagome and he suddenly felt ashamed of himself. How could he think of Kamen and Kagome at the same time?

He jerked his hand away and covered up the movement by brushing silver hair away from his amber eyes. He shifted his attention away from the sky and again on Kamen. She was watching him and he paled. He felt so naked and raw under her gaze and he hated it. He hated it so much.

"Maybe I am evil and am just kidding myself," Inuyasha decided faintly, not daring to look at Kagome. "Maybe I've always been evil. This demon blood has been inside me since I was born, after all."

"You're not evil," Kamen tried to abolish such a thought from the hanyou's mind. Inuyasha still remained unconvinced. Naraku's words from long ago rang in his ears. He was demonic—he was evil. That was just the way things are.

"And how do you know?" he asked Kamen, feeling his defenses fly up. How dare Kamen try to tell him what he is and isn't.

"Because I know you," Kamen whispered. "I've seen the way you act."

"You don't know me. You don't know me at all," Inuyasha snapped back before clamping his lips shut. He hadn't meant to snap at her, but there was no way he was apologizing. "You only know… this."

He waved his hand vaguely at himself, his claws dragging through his silver hair for a split second. His golden eyes narrowed and his dog ears twitched before flattening against his head. He bit his lip, feeling the pointed canine delve into the soft flesh of his lip without breaking the skin.

"It doesn't matter what's on the outside," Kamen tried to sooth the ruffled feathers of her partner. She reached out a hand, as if about to touch him before retracting it and cradling the appendage against her chest. "It's the inside that counts."

"Save the sappiness, Kamen, it's not working for you," Inuyasha sneered before staring down at the bustling streets far below. The skyscraper they sat on seemed so incredibly high above the world below. He felt like he was completely disconnected. He liked the feeling.

"I'm not trying to be sappy," Kamen muttered. "I'm trying to make you see logic here."

"I am seeing logic. I'm a demon so I'm evil. Demons are evil. If I'm a demon then I'm evil," Inuyasha ranted, waving his hands as if it would better demonstrate his knowledge of the situation. "I've figured it all out."

"If you're evil, then why are you a taijiya?" Kamen demanded.

"I was forced into the taijiya," Inuyasha replied snidely, his hand gripping the clinking rosary beads that hung limply around his neck. He tugged on it and the beads glowed, sensing such a movement as an attempt to break the magical bind. "It's because of you that I'm even here."

Kamen flared up. He could see her anger mounting. Her cheeks were turning red but not from embarrassment. No, they were turning red with her anger. It was a common sign. Her thin eyebrows were arched downwards, giving her the customary 'angry' look he often associated with her.

"If you had a choice, then, you wouldn't be here?" Kamen demanded.

Inuyasha contemplated such a question. Would he be? Before his birthday he would have thought this the coolest job in the world. But now, he was just tired and wanted to go back to his normal, dull life. It seemed so appealing now that he was forced into a life of fast moving mayhem. He longed for the days when he could sleep the entire day and really sleep. He hadn't had a dream since the night of his transformation, as far as he could remember.

He bit his lip and glanced at Kamen. She was watching him earnestly; he could feel her intense gaze on him. He mulled over the question for a long moment, unsure how to answer it.

"Yes," he finally said. "Had I had the choice—a better choice." He remembered with contempt the choices he had: the taijiya or death. "I wouldn't be here right now. If I had a choice, I'd be normal again."

"Normal is incredibly overrated," Kamen snarled before jerking to her feet and stomping away from him. He blinked and stood as well, nearly slipping off the roof in his haste, and darted after her.

"Hey, where are you going? We have a job to do," Inuyasha scolded his partner. He watched Kamen's shoulders stiffen with every word he uttered.

Finally, she came to a dead halt and Inuyasha nearly slammed into her. She whipped her head around and for a brief moment Inuyasha could have sworn he saw a tear dart out from underneath her goggles. But it had to be a trick of an eye for surely Kamen was strong enough not to let her emotions control her like this?

"I'm going home," she snarled. "Naraku's not going to show up tonight. I thought you'd be happy." Her voice was incredibly watery but Inuyasha chose to ignore it, not wanting to admit that Kamen was crying… and that he was probably the cause of it. "I mean, now you can be home and pretend to be normal."

Inuyasha's lip curved. He didn't appreciate Kamen's attitude. "You're not going anywhere," he snarled and grasped her wrist. She tried to jerk it away but he held firm. "We're supposed to stay here."

"So all of a sudden you care about your missions?" Kamen barked angrily and with a mighty heave she managed to yank her hand free from Inuyasha's grip. "Just a moment ago you told me that you'd give anything to be normal again!"

"That doesn't change the fact that this is my job. We have a job to do so stop acting like a spoiled little child and get your ass back over here so we can actually do that job," Inuyasha snarled out angrily as he grasped Kamen's forearm and jerked her backwards again. Kamen stumbled and her back pressed up against Inuyasha's chest but the girl was quick to jump away from him.

"Oh, I'm a spoiled child, am I?" Kamen snapped out, her fists clenching as she spun around to glare at him. She bent her knees, resembling an enraged cat that'd just been dropped in water. "Then what does that make you? A tantrum throwing toddler?"

"No I'm—"

"Just go away, Sha," she snapped out. "If you don't want to be here, there's no point in you staying." She sneered. "Wouldn't want to keep you here against your will now do we? I know my company is just _so_ hard to bear."

And then it clicked—Kamen's sudden anger towards him. She'd taken his decision to not be here personally. He had to admit that he'd grown used to Kamen's company. He hadn't meant for it to sound like that, though. He swallowed and inched towards her.

"Kamen… I…" Kamen whipped around and started marching away, obviously not wishing to hear whatever it was that he had to say. He wouldn't allow this to stand, however, and marched after her, his hand outstretched. "Kamen… wait…"

He grasped her shoulder and attempted to turn her around. But, as was often the case for the unlucky hanyou, he momentarily forgot that he was handling a human and he was certainly not someone with standard human strength. With a large whip of his hand, Kamen was spinning in the air before she landed roughly on her back. She gaped up at him.

"Gah! Kamen… I didn't mean…" he trailed off when Kamen rocked her back and kicking her legs up managed to land on her feet, crouched down. She was glaring daggers at him, he could tell, he could feel them.

His eyes bugged out when Kamen flicked her wrist and four kunai—squeezed between her fingers—seemed to materialize. Her teeth were clenched and she stood slowly. With a small grunt, the pointed objects came sailing towards him and nicked over his arms. He knew for a fact that Kamen could have killed him—and also knew that Kamen wouldn't kill him—and that it was probably just a warning. That didn't keep him from getting angry, though.

"You… you idiot!" he snarled as Kamen ran towards him, her fists clenched. He dodged a well placed kick to his groin and seemed to almost dance around the enraged girl. "I didn't mean to!"

But it seemed that Kamen's rage had caught up with her—her fists flew towards him and he tried desperately to dodge them while throwing his own round-housed kicks her way. They seemed to move in a synchronized fashion atop the skyscraper. It seemed as if they'd been meant to fight against one another. They moved like a fluid, Kamen swaying to the left and dipping under Inuyasha's arm while he grasped her foot and flipped her in the air. To the untrained eye, it could almost seem as if they were dancing.

"You… inconsiderate… jerk…" Kamen seethed in between punches and kicks. Inuyasha almost swore he saw another teardrop but wrote it off as a trick of the eye. Surely Kamen was not getting this sentimental over their fighting?

He dipped under her attempts to double kick him and swept his feet out as she landed, catching her behind the knees and knocking her off balance. Her hands spun around like a windmill's before she fell onto her back. With a quick backwards roll, the girl was on her feet again, crouching and glaring at him. He crouched too, their bodies poised to attack.

They both launched at one another simultaneously. Inuyasha and Kamen banged together with such force that they fell to the ground. Inuyasha rotated himself so that his back hit the ground and Kamen was on top of him. He struggled against her as she attempted to pin him. His hand whipped out and lashed at Kamen, nearly catching her ear.

Then, with a small, almost inaudible ripping sound, Kamen's goggles fell away from her face. His claws had connected with the band that held the equipment to his face. Inuyasha almost expected to see some disgusting deformity there.

His eyes watched as the goggles fell away from Kamen's face. It seemed to move in slow motion and Kamen reached for the goggles, trying to lodge the thing back on her face and protect herself. It fell onto his chest before rolling and falling to the ground with a large clunk.

Silence met the resounding clunking noise and Inuyasha hesitantly lifted his head, almost afraid of what he'd see there. His breath hitched in his throat as he gazed upon the unhidden face of Kamen. She looked just as shocked as he did.

He followed the curve of her face as it disappeared under her unruly bangs. He watched her tiny nose rise up between her eyes. Her eyes… the most breathtaking, most beautiful, most astounding shade of blue he'd ever seen. It took him a moment to register the oceanic gaze that was staring back at him and it took all his willpower not to utter out the three syllables of her name.

Kagome…

Kamen was Kagome. It took him a long moment to register the fact that he was staring upwards into the face of Kagome who had been Kamen only a moment before. Kagome scrambled, scurrying away from Inuyasha as if he'd just slapped her. Her hands whipped up and covered her face and she bowed her head, tendrils of black hair that had escaped her high pony tail falling over her face.

"Kamen…" He struggled not to call the woman by her true name. "You…?"

Kagome shook her head furiously, whispering out incoherent words that even Inuyasha's excellent hearing could detect. He crept towards her and she scurried away, as if afraid he'd burn her.

"I tried so hard to hide it…" she remarked. For a brief moment Inuyasha mused over the idea that Kagome had known who he was the entire time. But he quickly excused it. Blue eyes… the strangest feature he'd ever seen on a Japanese girl. "I didn't want anyone to know."

"Know what?" Inuyasha ventured to ask, crawling towards her until she backed into the wall that surrounded the door that accessed the staircase leading downwards. Her bottom lip quivered and he resisted all his urgings not to kiss her.

It seemed as if the sun had just risen. Kagome was Kamen. Kagome _was_ Kamen. They were one and the same. His conflicting feelings towards both girls were unfounded. Suddenly the reason he felt so connected to both of them made perfect sense—the two were the same. What were the chances? And now that he gazed upon Kagome's face, capturing in the way the moonlight reflected in her blue eyes, he wondered how he'd been able to read her emotions without such powerful windows, how he'd been able to overlook the way their auras pulsed and churned with his presence, how Kikyou looked remarkably like Kagome and yet so incredibly different?

"That it had an effect on me," Kagome sobbed and kept her head bowed.

"That what?" he questioned, unsure what she'd meant.

She just shook her head, refusing to answer him. His clawed hands reached out and grasped her shoulders. "Kamen…" he whispered. "Answer me."

"It's not everyday that you'll find a Japanese pureblood with blue eyes, don't you agree, Sha?" Kamen spoke instead of answered his question. He frowned, wondering what it was that Kagome was getting at but agreed nonetheless. "It's kind of an interesting story… I wasn't _born_ with blue eyes."

"Huh?" was Inuyasha's oh-so-intelligent remark.

Kagome laughed sardonically, raising her head so that he could see the tears swimming in her gorgeous blue orbs. He reached out a hand, brushing the tears from her eyes. She shut them tightly and shook her head slowly.

"Remember the night I told you that my father was killed by a demon?" Kagome questioned, lifting her head and staring at him. He nodded slowly. "That was only half the truth."

"What do you mean?" he whispered, as if afraid to speak.

"I killed my father… I was possessed by that demon," Kagome said and swallowed thickly, choking on a sob. "It was six years ago but I still miss him… it's still painful. My father died by my hand, even if I didn't willingly move it." She clenched her said hand shut and covered her heart, her eyes still clenched shut. Her voice was watery and bitter, as if each word were slowly sapping her of her life.

"The blue eyes are the after effects of the demon's possession. The demon, she was an elemental demon, an ice youkai… she was within my body for months, harboring, incubating her power. My father finally detected her presence once her occupying my body caused my eyes to change color. Even after she'd been forced from my body… the blue eyes are the ever constant reminder that I was possessed." Silence rang in Inuyasha's ears after she fell silent.

"After that," Kagome continued on after a short time. "I joined the demon hunters… to avenge my father and repent for what I'd done to him. Sango, my cousin, helped me work my way to the top that I'm at now."

Inuyasha wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond to such a declaration. Kagome's blue eyes, still swimming with unshed tears, stared at him, as if she were expecting him to say something to her. His words were lodged in his throat, unable to escape his mouth. He wanted more than anything to comfort Kagome… to help her.

"Say something…" Kagome demanded, her voice cracking. "Just say _anything._"

He crawled to her and before he could stop himself, he had his arms around her. She cushioned her head against his shoulder and cried silently. The feelings within her Inuyasha could empathize… for he'd lost a father, too. But he'd never killed his father. He'd barely known his father. Kagome had lost her father and it had been by her own hand. Whether it was her fault or not didn't matter.

But at the same time, he was happy that her goggles had fallen off. The girl that he liked—for he had admitted his feelings for Kagome—was the same as his partner. The weight of the kiss he'd stolen from Kamen when he'd secretly dreamed of it being Kagome seemed to rise off his shoulders. He held Kagome tighter. He didn't have to worry anymore. Kagome could take care of herself, he knew that. He wouldn't have to worry… everything was going to be okay.

"I'm here," he whispered in her ear and felt her nod rather than saw it. She squeezed him tightly and he returned the gesture, cradling her softly against his chest, feeling her warmth seeping through his uniform. Everything was going to be okay.

Inuyasha's eyes darted to the moon and he couldn't have cared less that it was waning.


	12. Chapter 12

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Twelve**

* * *

"Today," Inuyasha said with a delightful grin. "Is absolutely, positively, without a doubt the greatest day in human history."

Kagome titled her head up, staring at her history partner; her black eyebrows arched upwards, a silent question playing in her beautiful blue eyes. Inuyasha's grin seemed to widen as he flopped down into the chair next to Kagome and propped his feet onto the table. It seemed impossible that there was ever a time he wasn't happy.

Kamen and Kagome were the same girl. This was truly a cause for celebration.

Inuyasha's behavior was most unorthodox. After all, the new moon had been the night before which usually left the dog demon in a rather sour mood. But alas, the joy of knowing that the objects of his affection were one in the same was truly more important than some stupid disappearing moon.

"Any particular reason why today _is_ the greatest day in human history?" Kagome questioned, her eyebrows still arched. But it seemed that Inuyasha's grin was infectious because her own lips were pulled apart in a giant smile.

Inuyasha hummed happily and rocked his chair back and forth, his lavender eyes gazing at Kagome. The girl met his gaze unwavering, before blushing and looking away—undoubtedly she remembered the day they'd held hands like stupid little school kids. But how could he blame her when she was Kamen _and_ Kagome? Oh no, he couldn't. Things were looking up.

And she didn't know that Inuyasha and Sha were one in the same. What a silly, uninformed girl. Inuyasha chuckled at his own fortune. He knew that he'd tell Kagome eventually, but for the time being he was rather content delving in his own inner gloating and relishing the fact that he knew Kagome's secret without her actually knowing that he did.

If only he weren't so darn shy, he'd totally ask Kagome out right then. But, he was a gentleman—or just a wimpy little boy—and he wouldn't impose himself on Kagome. Instead, he contented himself with staring at her as she tapped her pencil against her notebook and gazed longingly out the window, her blue eyes reflecting the rays of golden sunlight filtering through the windows.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Inuyasha questioned, looking at her. She glanced at him and her cheeks turned pink. She nodded.

"So, what's got you in such a good mood anyways?" Kagome asked, her blue eyes sparkling in the golden sunlight. Inuyasha felt his heart leap—and what a feeling it was. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced before… and he loved it.

"Nothing in particular," Inuyasha lied, his lips split in a smile as he glanced between Kagome and the door, where the professor would appear sooner or later. "Just today seems like a good day."

Class seemed to whip by in a blur but Inuyasha didn't seem to mind—it seemed that the mutations in his brain were coming in handy because he found himself able to grasp what the professor was saying. Even Kagome seemed to notice the difference in his ability to take notes while the professor lectured and sent a large smile his way when the professor paused in his long drawl of never-ending boredom.

As they left the stuffy classroom and exited the building, allowing the warmth of the sunlight to bathe them in a warm blanket, Inuyasha walked closer to Kagome than he normally would have dared. If Kagome noticed, she didn't comment. They walked slowly, not wishing to end their walk in light of their walking separate ways.

When they approached the telltale crosswalk where Inuyasha would turn one way and Kagome the other, however, Inuyasha continued following her. Kagome eyed him curiously, her black hair rolling off her shoulders as she moved.

"Why are you following me home?" Kagome questioned softly. She didn't seem annoyed with the fact and that further fueled Inuyasha's courage. He quickened his pace, moving closer to her. Kagome didn't push him away, though he saw the way her eyes flickered.

"Am I not allowed to?" Inuyasha questioned silkily, his eyebrows arching. He watched with delight as Kagome's cheeks turned bright red. He followed her and they continued walking, Kagome's head tilted upwards as the sun kissed her cheeks.

"You can come along then," Kagome finally spoke, though it wasn't necessary. Inuyasha had no intention of leaving Kagome alone now that he knew that there was no Kamen factor to conflict with. Kagome could take care of herself… Naraku wouldn't stand a chance, right?

They walked the rest of the way to Kagome's house in silence, Inuyasha guiding Kagome when she almost ran into a bench because her head was still tilted upwards. Half way towards her house she grasped his hand much like she had the other day and Inuyasha didn't let go—instead he clenched her hand tightly, happy for the contact.

"Well," Kagome said as they reached her door. "Do you want to come in? Souta and Rin would be happy to see you again, I'm sure."

Inuyasha smiled but shook his head. "I wish I could, but I've got to get going."

Miroku had told him that he'd need to return to headquarters for more testing and the results of his other tests. He couldn't care less, especially when something more tempting like spending the afternoon with Kagome presented itself, but it was something he had to do.

"Well… I'll see you later, Inuyasha…" Kagome sighed and opened her door and moving slowly, as if wishing she did not have to go. Inuyasha bit his lip and swallowed.

"Kagome, wait," he commanded and to his astonishment the girl obeyed, stopping her hand from where it was about to open her door wider. "I… uh…"

"Yes?" He didn't miss the flicker of curiosity and hopefulness that laced her words.

Inuyasha swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was wondering if maybe…" He was working up his nerve. He would not fail. "That is, if you don't mind I'd like to…"

She turned to face him completely, her lips pursed and her eyebrows arched. Her oceanic gaze glowed in the sunlight. She opened her mouth, as if she were to say something but quickly thought better of it and closed her mouth. She nodded her head silently, telling him to continue with whatever it was he was about to say.

"Er… would you like to go out with me? On a date?" he blurted out before he could stop himself. Silence greeted such a declaration and he silently congratulated himself on a job well done then scolded himself for being such an incredible loser about the whole ordeal.

But Kagome didn't seem to think he was a loser in the least. In fact, she looked utterly delighted with his proposal and quickly nodded her head, her black hair bobbing again. He watched the way the silky tresses danced on her shoulders and framed her beautiful face. Geez, he was turning into a poet. He silently cursed Kagome while silently thanking her for her ability to look over his awkwardness.

"Great… I'll, uh, talk to you later then?" he questioned and she nodded her head. Her ability to speak had seemed to have momentarily escaped her. He couldn't say he didn't mind, as long as she was saying yes to his questions.

* * *

"_Scientists at the WHO institutes urged delegates to inform the general public to get vaccinations for smallpox last Thursday at a local meeting in downtown Tokyo. The WHO representatives were met with resistance, however, due to the fact that they offered no solid evidence for the necessity of such a vaccination. The vaccine used against smallpox, _vaccinia, _a close cousin to the deadly poxvirus, is often met with much resistance due to the fact that the vaccination itself can cause deadly repercussions."_

Inuyasha gazed idly at the television he was currently watching with Sango, Miroku, and Kamen. He tapped his fingers absently on his arm as he listened, not really paying attention but knowing that he should. Knowing Sango he'd probably receive a pop quiz from the damned news report.

"_There are many restrictions on the use of _vaccinia_ due to the many deaths that often occur with its use, for it too is a poxvirus though not as virulent in humans as its deadly cousin: smallpox."_

A moment later the report moved onto the decreased exportation of cattle and Sango clicked the television off. Inuyasha's eyebrows cocked upwards as he gazed sharply at Sango.

"And what," he drawled, "does this have to do with us."

"WHO is correct in its proposal for full vaccination. Their intelligence has no proof, but _our_ intelligence has learned that a vial of smallpox has been stolen from the Russian biological warfare containment headquarters," Sango murmured. "We have a feeling it was terrorists."

"So Naraku can get a hold of it?" Inuyasha questioned, disbelieving what he was hearing.

Sango shrugged. "It's a possibility, yes… but not what our main concern is."

"Actually," Miroku cut in, speaking for the first time. He adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose and tapped his clipboard against his thigh. He continued sitting and gazed at the three other occupants of the room.

"Smallpox can move at frightening speeds," he continued. "Years ago, when it was thought to be sleeping in freezers and unknown to the natural world, one man contracted it after a trip to Iran. No one knew he had it and in no time he'd infected nearly two thirds of the hospital he was being treated at simply by coughing—he managed to kill people he'd never even seen in his life. Those contaminated then spread it to others… It's a never-ending cycle. And with the way that airlines move and resources travel, it can take less than a month for a world wide epidemic of smallpox to succumb the world into utter chaos."

Silence met his remark save for the clearing of Miroku's throat. "It's as Sango suggests. We'd be better vaccinating ourselves in preparation for the worst. The last thing we need is a wipeout of the human race."

"But aren't demons immune to smallpox?" Inuyasha snapped out. Sango fixed him with a deadly glare and he backed down, frowning.

"You're a hanyou, Sha," Sango said fiercely. "We have no idea whether you'd be immune or not. It's best that we do what we can to protect you against a possible outbreak."

"Whatever…" Inuyasha muttered and eyed the needles that Miroku held. He still wasn't used to the evil little buggers and inched slightly closer to Kamen. Kamen shifted as well.

"Remove your uniforms, if you'd please," Miroku said as he beamed at Kamen. Kamen's lips thinned and Inuyasha was once again reminded that he was sitting next to Kagome. It was terrific. Kamen did as she was instructed, however, and removed her uniform.

Her skin was pale and she was completely bare-chested save for the bra she wore. Inuyasha tried his hardest not to stare but found that his male desires couldn't stand a chance against the soft, pale skin of Kagome's upper body and Kagome's unknown feminine wiles.

"Sit," she snapped and Inuyasha slammed to the ground with a large cry of protest. Well, he'd been caught, but he would engrave the image of a half-naked Kagome into his mind forever. If only Miroku and Sango weren't around, then he could—

He shook his head from the position he was on the floor. He was turning into a pervert.

He listened with a grim, foreboding feeling as Kamen whimpered and cursed quietly. Perhaps she hated needles too?

Once the spell wore off and he sat back up, Kagome was completely dressed again. She looked extremely discomforted. She was grasping her bicep, where Miroku had undoubtedly pierced her with the needle. Miroku waved his hand and Inuyasha stripped, revealing his muscular, yet lanky, upper body.

"This may sting," Miroku warned and nearly stabbed him with the needle. Inuyasha hissed in pain and wondered idly if Miroku had done that on purpose. Soon the needle was removed only to be pierced again.

"Ow!" he yelped. "Bloody hell, what are you doing?"

"It's important that I continue to pierce you with the needle until you start bleeding completely and your body scars over."

"But I'm a damned hanyou, my body doesn't scar," Inuyasha snapped out angrily and shuttled away from Miroku, trying to avoid the needle that threatened his throbbing arm. "Damn it!" he cursed when the needle struck him again. "Fucking…!"

"Calm down," Sango snapped out and shook her head. "Honestly, if you'd just be patient it will be done a lot quicker."

"Why the hell do I need to bleed and scar?" Inuyasha snapped.

"It's to make sure that the poxvirus has entered your system," Miroku soothed as he jabbed him again. Inuyasha bit his tongue and hissed angrily, his golden eyes burning angrily. He swore revenge on the doctor, silently plotting the man's demise.

"There," Miroku said after a couple more minutes of painful needle jabs. "All finished."

"It's about damn time," Inuyasha snarled, feeling on edge from the attack he'd suffered at the hands of the cheery and slightly disturbing doctor.

'_Well,'_ he thought with a tiny smile,_ 'At least I have something to look forward to.'_

* * *

The breeze ruffled the papers. The window was open and sending in a refreshingly cool nightly breeze. Inuyasha rested his head against the palm of his hand and watched Souta work across the table from him.

"Is this the answer?" Souta demanded as he pushed his homework towards Inuyasha. The said man tilted his head, causing stray locks of black hair to spill over his shoulder, and grasped the leaf of paper. Pulling it towards him, his eyes swept over the sheet of paper, silently checking the boy's work.

He lifted his head and stared at the sixteen year old teenager. Brown eyes watched him hopefully, longing to hear the affirmative of the question he'd asked the elder male. Inuyasha sighed and smiled.

"Looks about right, yeah," he agreed and chuckled as Souta beamed. He yanked his homework back and started scribbling down into his notebook, copying down the answer so that he could study it later, as Kagome had suggested. Souta was a studious and intelligent boy, but, like most of the Higurashi family, suffered in the math area.

"All done," Souta pronounced a couple minutes later and slapped his notebook shut proudly. He puffed out his chest as if he'd just cured world hunger and nodded his thanks towards his older sister's friend—and his new idol—before standing and retreating to the kitchen to get something to eat. After completing his mathematical studies what better way to celebrate than some junk food?

Rin dozed on the floor near him. She'd tuckered herself out after nearly wetting herself from the excitement of knowing that Inuyasha had returned to their humble abode. She'd run around, resembling a headless chicken, beaming and screaming that Inuyasha had indeed returned. She'd been the one to answer the door when Inuyasha had stopped by. Kagome had invited him, telling him that Souta needed help for his upcoming final.

Souta returned a short while later, carrying a large bag of potato chips. He lifted his foot and hopped nimbly over the limp form of his younger sister. He flopped down across the table from Inuyasha and held the bag out to him. Inuyasha shook his head and turned his attention back to the kitchen where he could smell Kagome's wonderful summery scent.

As if silently beckoned, the girl appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. She eyed the comatose state of her younger sister, Souta's robotic movement of pulling a potato chip from his bag and into his mouth, and Inuyasha's dulled slump as he slouched over the table, inspecting his reflection staring back up towards him.

She sighed and shook her head. "Someone move Rin. It's not good for her to be sleeping on the ground like that. Souta, stop eating or you'll spoil your appetite. Inuyasha…" The man glanced up when she called his name, his eyebrows cocking upwards. "Be more cheerful."

He gave her a dry smile to which Kagome simply rolled her eyes. She stepped over the passed out Rin and plucked Souta's chips from his hand. Instantly the lanky teenager was on his feet, trying fruitlessly to pry the chips from his sister's hands. Kagome leaned out of the way and ducked under his arm in a way that could only be described as flexible. Despite the height difference, Kagome had mastered the art of elusive action.

Inuyasha watched the two as they proceeded to rampage throughout the room before disappearing into the next room over. The distant cries of an interrupted old man revealed that their escapades had proceeded to the family room where the old priest was watching some game show from a by-gone decade.

Inuyasha stretched slowly, scratching one of his concealed dog ears absently. He glanced at Rin, who kicked her foot out slowly, as if she were marching through mud and her foot had gotten stuck. He frowned and sighed. He might as well move her upstairs to her room if she was going to continue to sleep. If she could sleep through Kagome's shrieks of laughter and Souta's cries of revenge than the girl could obviously sleep through anything.

He swooped down to pick her up when she suddenly stiffened and her mouth fell open. He frowned, wondering if perhaps she was dreaming. He received his answer a moment later, however, when Rin gave out a tiny cry and started shaking.

Inuyasha moved to touch her but was afraid that he'd hurt her. She was dreaming, obviously, but it seemed that the dream was quickly evolving into a nightmare, if her facial expression had any say in her dreams. Her face was contorted into a deep cringe. She cried out again and her hand whipped out, catching the table and knocking against it.

"Rin…?" he questioned, hoping that perhaps Rin was only playing with him. When the girl didn't answer, he whipped his hand out and shook her shoulder. She started crying. He drew his hand away. "Rin? Answer me… are you okay?"

Rin continued shaking and crying, her body rolling and compressing into a tiny ball. He whipped his hand up. If Kagome or anyone else walked in any time soon they'd probably think she'd done something. He licked his lips.

"Kagome!" he called. He stood up and left the room, finding Kagome and Souta wrestling on the ground like a couple of small children. "Kagome, there's something wrong with Rin."

Kagome was gone from Souta's side faster than he'd ever seen her move—even when she was Kamen—and darted into the room Rin was currently writhing in. She turned her head to Souta.

"Get mama."

The boy needn't be told a second time. He raced up the stairs and disappeared from view. Inuyasha followed after Kagome and watched as she knelt down beside her sister and shook her. Rin didn't awaken but weakly called out for help.

"What's happening to her?" Inuyasha asked then bit the inside of his mouth. What a stupid question to ask. Of course Kagome didn't know. Kagome ran her hands over Rin before finding something.

"What's this?" Kagome whispered as she drew a bright purple dart from the back of Rin's neck. Inuyasha stared at it and his eyebrows creased.

"Where did it come from?" Inuyasha asked instead of answering Kagome's question.

"She didn't have it in her neck when she fell asleep…" Kagome whispered as Rin began to stir. Her gaze shifted around the room and landed on the open window. Curtains fluttered in the breeze innocently. She stood and moved to the window before jerking it open completely and peering outside.

Inuyasha stood as well and approached the window. He looked out over Kagome's shoulder. His eyes were better than hers, and if anyone was out there he was more likely to see it than she was. But he didn't see anything and he doubted Kagome would either.

"Do you think someone outside did it to her?" he ventured to ask Kagome. Why would someone shoot Rin with some kind of dart?

Rin had awakened and was now crying profusely in her mother's arms. Souta hovered over his mother's shoulders, seeing if there was anything he could do to comfort his little sister. The other three didn't know about the dart and Inuyasha watched as Kagome slipped into the pocket of her skirt. He had a feeling he'd see it later on at headquarters, where Kamen would probably be analyzing it.

"Are you okay, Rin?" Kagome asked as she knelt before Rin. Rin shook her head and buried herself in her mom's arms. Kagome frowned and glanced at the window again. "Another nightmare?"

"I'll make some tea," Inuyasha offered and exited the room, leaving the Higurashi family to comfort the youngest. He grasped the kettle and filled it with water. A couple minutes later he head the old priest waddle into the room, and his hard gaze on the man's back.

"I'm not going to poison the tea if that's what you're thinking," Inuyasha muttered and rolled his violet eyes heavenwards. The old man still didn't trust him and was absolutely convinced that he was demonic in someway (which, ironically enough, he was) and refused to let the man go anywhere in the house alone. He was even wary of leaving the hanyou in the bathroom on his own.

"Not now that I'm here," the old man grouched and slipped closer to the younger man. Inuyasha sighed and clenched his jaw, trying his hardest not to snap at the old quack.

Rin wailed in the other room and Inuyasha tried his hardest to ignore it. He glanced out the window and was almost positive he saw a flash of color. He frowned.

Suddenly, the lights above him flashed off and the entire house was shrouded in darkness. He heard Rin cry out again, this time from the fear of the increasing darkness in her life. A moment later, however, the lights surged back on. Inuyasha looked out the window again and saw lights surging in the distant buildings beyond. What an odd time to have a power surge. Perhaps an earthquake was coming soon?

He reached for the cupboard that held the cups but it flew open and mugs slammed to the ground, shattering and sending porcelain everywhere.

"Ah ha!" the old man gasped. "You have the power to control air, huh? Or are you a psychic demon?" He waved his hands in the air, as if trying to summon powers from thin air. Inuyasha gave him a withered glare.

"I'm not doing anything, it was an accident. The mugs were probably leaning against the door of the cupboard," Inuyasha tried to explain but the elderly man refused to listen and instead when off on a tangent of how his grandchildren could allow an evil presence in the house.

* * *

He knocked on the door a couple of times before taking a step back. Smoothing the ruffles of his flyaway hair, Inuyasha stood on Kagome's front stoop, preparing to pick her up for the dinner he'd invited her to. He swallowed thickly—his first date. If he needed a reason to be called a complete loser this was the reason right here—twenty-two and going on his first date. Oh yeah, he was a loser.

But that didn't seem to matter to Kagome, and that's all that mattered. He could only pray that he didn't mess up tonight with her. If all went well, there could be a second date… or a third… or…

He was getting ahead of himself. He picked at his shirt, removing an invisible and nonexistent piece of dirt that had apparently been on his shoulder. The trick was to keep it cool, he determined. Nonchalant.

Such thoughts of 'playing it cool' and acting nonchalant blasted out the window when the door slipped open and his eyes landed on the girl before him. She didn't do anything particularly different from her everyday style and for that he was grateful because neither had he.

She smoothed the wrinkle in her sundress and looked up at him shyly, her cheeks a light pink, matching the hue of the dress she adorned. God, why was she always so… cute?

"Oh…!" His face was enflamed, he could tell. He'd been caught off guard… Kagome had answered the door when he was in the middle of his silent pep talk. How dare she! He wasn't prepared for her… he wasn't…

His eyes blinked as he took in her gaze, his lavender orbs darkening as he caught sight of her before him. She was so pretty… beautiful… amazing…

He was turning into a bloody poet, he realized with some dismay. How could Kagome have such an effect on him? He found that he really couldn't care less, as long as she stayed where she was, looking up at him expectantly, the wind rustling the hem of her summer dress.

"Hi," he said awkwardly. Kagome beamed.

"Hi," she returned.

"Want to go, then?" he asked and Kagome nodded happily, stepping out into the night and shutting the door behind her. She shouldered her purse and looked up at him expectantly. He cleared his throat and took a step down off the stoop.

He turned to her and held out a hand which she gratefully took. He realized with complete and utter delight that their fingers melded together and laced perfectly, as if his hand had been created for the soul purpose of grasping Kagome's tenderly.

Things after that moved smoothly. During the movie they went to see, Kagome happily laid her head on his shoulder and he didn't even have to pretend to be stealthy when he slipped his arm around her shoulders. During dinner they talked the entire time and only had to battle against awkward silences two or three times.

They spent the rest of the evening walking slowly, his arm wrapped around her and holding her tight. Neither seemed to mind such a position and they moved as one, her hand slung around his waist and idly playing with the hem of his shirt.

As they approached Kagome's front stoop, Kagome climbed the steps, breaking away from his grasp so that she could look down at him. He swallowed the lump that had decided to nestle in his throat and looked at her expectantly, as if she were about to say something to him.

They stood awkwardly, their eyes locking. Kagome shuffled her feet and worried her lower lip. His eyes trailed to her lips, watching as her tongue darted out and wetted the dry mouth. She shifted, her hands gripping themselves in front of her as she rocked back and forth. The blush that peppered her face gave her an innocent look and he was captivated by such a look.

Kagome tilted her head to the side, black hair spilling over shoulder as she looked down at him from her higher position on top of her steps. Inuyasha felt himself falling slowly into the deep ocean that swirled in her eyes.

He didn't move and didn't turn to leave even though he knew he was supposed to. The wind blew around them tentatively, as if afraid that it would break the spell that was slowly forming around the two. Kagome's blue eyes burned brightly, swirling like a raging ocean fruitlessly harbored in her gaze. She was thinking deeply, of what, Inuyasha wasn't sure. But he had never seen anyone look more alluring and fascinating.

"What are you waiting for?" Kagome's voice questioned abruptly. Inuyasha blinked slowly, wondering if perhaps he'd just imagined Kagome speaking to him. The girl stood, her hips lightly jutted outwards as she gazed down at him. Her smiling face faded into a thin line as she contemplated him.

Wait; did she want him to go away? Or say something? Or—his face burned with the very thought of it—kiss her?

"Waiting for?" he repeated.

"Aren't you going to…?" Kagome asked and trailed off. Something seemed to click in Inuyasha's mind when her look turned earnest. Of course she wanted him to kiss her. He felt his heart hammering against his chest and felt a small shiver of desire climb up his spine.

He took a step towards her, his foot planting itself on the step. Kagome took a step backwards to accommodate the extra body on her front stoop. Her back pressed against the building and she stared up at him, her blue eyes misting over like clouds before a storm. Her angelic, oceanic gaze caused him to nearly lose his nerve—the intense look in her eyes was enough to make anyone go crazy.

He planned his course of action. How exactly was Kagome expecting this to work? He obviously couldn't read her mind and her eyes, glowing in the starlight, did little to quell his fears and questions. Not for the first time Inuyasha cursed his stupidity with such things. He was thankful that Kagome was so understanding and caring.

His hands reached up and cupped her cheeks hesitantly, his palms molding to the curve of her cheeks. His thumbs breezed over her cheekbones and her burning red skin. It seemed that all the blood in his body was relocating to his face. Her tiny, button nose twitched and she lifted her gaze from his lips to his eyes.

They stood in silence like that—Inuyasha's hands cupping her face as she stared up at him expectantly. The wind blew his black hair into his face and he licked his lips. He knew his own expression probably mirrored Kagome's, but he didn't care. He just wanted to kiss her.

Her lips parted slightly and she leaned to her right, leaning into the warmth of one of his hands. Her eyes darted to his wrists just below her chin before returning to his face at full attention. She licked her lips again and reached her own hands up, cupping his hands over hers. It seemed that her silent, simple touch sent a wildfire of emotions blazing through him, starting at the tips of his fingers which Kagome's own hands touched, to his tiny, insignificant toes.

He took a step towards her and felt the warmth of her body next to his. Her back flattened against the building and she released the tiniest of noises—he wasn't sure if it was a sigh or a whimper or perhaps a hybrid of both noises, but he liked it nonetheless. Her eyes were sparkling earnestly and her whole body portrayed someone who'd waited centuries for this moment.

He'd already kissed her before, he knew. So he wasn't entirely sure why it was that he was drawing this moment out more than strictly necessary. She looked eager for his lips and he didn't want to make her wait. Unlike last time, his kiss would be expected and accepted.

"Kagome…" he murmured her name, and those three syllables seemed to cast a spell between the two, shrouding them into their own, perfect world. Everything beyond them was insignificant and unimportant. At this moment and this moment alone Inuyasha and Kagome only cared about the other.

It seemed as if he'd been dropped into molasses. He was moving so slowly yet wanted to move as quickly as he could. His head moved a fraction of an inch, closing in on Kagome. The distance between their lips was steadily growing smaller and smaller. Kagome seemed just as eager to close the distance between them as he was and lifted herself onto the tips of her toes.

Finally, the distance seemed too far for them to bear and he dipped his head. His lips brushed over hers in a feathery touch and he felt a rush of air pull into Kagome's mouth as she quickly sucked her breath inwards. He quickly pulled away quickly—he was barely a fraction of an inch away from her quivering pink lips. Their eyes, only half open, gazed at the opposite's lips. He lifted her face and felt her moving with him as his lips slanted over hers, covering them completely with his own for a portion of an instant before he pulled away again, slowly.

His heart was thundering and he was completely positive that he could very well die right now and never know it. He'd been blasted upwards into heaven with Kagome in his arms and it was the greatest feeling in the world. He could bare his entire being to Kagome right then and there and he wouldn't care. Anything she could have asked in that moment he would have answered.

She took a step towards him, pressing herself against him as her hands left the warmth of his own hands and slipped around his neck, drawing him near. The breath in his lungs seemed to rush out before he sucked in another lungful. Once his lungs were sated, he stepped forward, completing the pressing of their bodies, pushing Kagome once again against the wall and kissing her.

This kiss lasted longer than the other two he'd initiated. He held her close, one hand straying from her cheek to push against the small of her back. He felt the fabric of her dress against the pads of his fingers and the warmth of her body beneath the cool fabric. This moment seemed so long… yet entirely too short.

He moved against her, drawing her bottom lip in between his own mouth, drawing a contented little sigh from Kagome. Taking that as a good sign to carry on, he continued his torturous kiss, holding her securely while pressing her against the wall. When finally his lungs screamed for air he pulled away from her, saddened that he'd have to break the connection.

Kagome's eyes stayed shut for another second before they fluttered open. She blinked a couple of times, her lips moving wordlessly as she tried to grasp the words that had been stolen away from her. Inuyasha offered her a tentative smile and she returned it. The hand left on her cheek moved slightly and his thumb grazed over her reddened skin carelessly as he took in her unmasked beauty.

Her blue eyes, still gleaming in the light of the stars and her own frivolous emotions, strayed from his lips where they'd lodged themselves and took in the glow of his masculine face. She moved her lips again, trying to speak, before shutting them tightly and gazing silently at his face.

"Goodnight, Kagome…" he murmured, regretfully pulling away from the warmth of Kagome's body. The miko nodded mutely before her face flamed again.

"Inuyasha…" she murmured, reaching out a hand and brushing black hair away from his face. The lock of ebony hair swayed slightly before returning to its original place just near his lavender eyes. She locked on the incredible amethyst orbs that gazed at her so caringly. She was lost in his eyes and she didn't care.

She made a move to open her door, saddened that the enchanting moment was over. She was about to open the door when his hand caught her wrist and he tugged her towards him again. She eagerly and willingly came to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and standing on the tips of her toes again so that she could reach him.

Teasingly she grazed her lips over his and he pressed back enthusiastically, ready to hold her tight for as long as he needed to. She clenched her fists in the fabric of his button-down shirt and delved into the warmth of his body. She felt his fingers thread through her hair while his other hand encased her in a one arm embrace, his palm idly rubbing her side.

When they pulled away again, it was for pure necessity of air. Kagome breathed deeply, drawing in oxygen while her deep-sea colored gaze captured the brilliant violet of Inuyasha's. Her hand moved from his back and cupped his cheek much like he had for her. His lips parted slightly when her thumb brushed over the proffered lips.

His eyes flickered; taking in the sights of her eyes, her nose, her lips… he found himself drowning in her beauty and didn't care in the least. His fingers pulled softly through her ebony locks, his concealed claws daring to graze over her sensitive scalp. The shiver that rippled through her frame was his reward and he smiled lightly at her reaction.

"I've got to go…" she whispered regretfully, and her eyes mirrored the disappointment in her voice. He nodded calmly but his hold on her didn't relent. He finally had her, he'd be damned if he let her go so quickly.

She finally managed to dislodge herself from Inuyasha and took a step towards the door. Smiling brightly, she slipped the door open and disappeared behind the wooden barrier between man and woman.

Inuyasha blew out a breath of air he hadn't known he was holding before his face split into a delightful ear-to-ear smile. He'd just kissed Kagome… and she liked it.

Oh yeah, he ruled.


	13. Chapter 13

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Thirteen **

* * *

"Just as I suspected," Kamen murmured as she extracted a long trail of paper sprouting out of the printer. She scanned over the pages—at least, he assumed she had because of her tiresome goggles—and made tiny noises of agreement.

"What is it that you suspected?" Inuyasha asked casually, golden eyes watching Kamen's jerky movements. He sat, longing to be near her, watching her movements like a hawk.

They were in the process of analyzing the purple dart that had plucked Rin a couple days ago. When Kamen had showed up at headquarters with the dart, she'd weaved a rather believable tale about how the dart had been found in one of the Prime Minister's bodyguards. Of course, Inuyasha knew the dart was found in Rin.

Many times Inuyasha had wondered whether the dart had been meant for him. After all, he'd been right there next to Rin. Had the shooter had the slightest miscalculation in his aim, it would be understandable that he hit the little girl as opposed to him.

"There was a hallucinogen on the tip of this dart," Kamen announced, eyeing the purple contraption with a look of utter distaste. Inuyasha nodded slowly.

"And what does that mean?" Inuyasha asked slowly, watching for any strange reaction Kamen might make. Oh, how he longed to tell Kagome who he really was, too. He felt slightly mean keeping his identity from her when he knew hers.

"The official who was infected started convulsing and seeing things," Kamen instructed. A slight variation of what had truly happened, but Inuyasha understood what the hallucinogen had done to Rin. Rin often had dreams, something he was well aware of, and the hallucinogen could have easily transformed her happy dream into a terrifying nightmare.

"And you think the dart caused this?" Inuyasha questioned as he eyed the small dart Kamen was inspecting.

"I know so," Kamen told him firmly and continued to do more analysis with the dart. She was currently looking at a slide of the hallucinogen extracted from the tip under a microscope.

"I'll take your word for it." Kamen didn't seem to hear him; she was too engrossed in her work.

He watched her form silently, his eyebrows furrowed. After a quarter hour of silence, he finally spoke. "Why?"

Kamen paused in her work and sighed gently. "I'm not sure… But whatever it is, it's not good."

* * *

"Protected by the STARS Act," Inuyasha muttered as he and Kagome traveled down the sidewalk. They were currently entertaining themselves by counting all the STARS Act posters there were hanging on just one side of the street.

"That gets us up to fifteen," Kagome announced as she stared lazily through the window, silently admiring the clothes or merchandise she saw inside. She sighed lightly. "I don't really like the STARS Act."

"How come?" Inuyasha questioned as he counted off two more posters to Kagome, who announced their current standing of seventeen.

"They're stripping down our humanity with these laws," Kagome grouched out, crossing her arms and her blue eyes shimmering. Her blue eyes betrayed so many emotions; it was no wonder the girl chose to keep the orbs covered up when she was Kamen. "It's allowing the police and government to treat us like animals and break other laws that ensure our rights."

"It's sort of ironic," Inuyasha muttered as he counted off three more posters to Kagome—twenty.

"Why's that?" Kagome questioned curiously.

"That's how we treat the demons," Inuyasha said slowly, making sure they weren't passing one of the countless police men. If he did, he'd be subject to arrest for daring to discuss demons out in the open—yet another adjustment made by the STARS Act to 'ensure' public safety. He'd watched the news the night before to know that anyone who dared discuss demonic nature outside their home was automatically arrested.

"Maybe the government's too stupid to see what it's doing."

"Maybe," Kagome agreed, a frown quirking her lips downward. "I don't like it."

They turned the corner and started moving towards where Inuyasha's apartment was. Inuyasha and Kagome had been in the process of going to Inuyasha's for lunch. Despite the fact that Inuyasha had tried to tell the girl that his house wasn't amazing and he didn't really take good care of his home, Kagome had told him that it was only fair since she'd had him over to her house more than once already.

The scene that presented itself when they turned the corner stopped their plans for lunch in their tracks. There was a large crowd around the door of his apartment and he and Kagome moved cautiously forward.

Weaving through the crowd, Inuyasha grasped Kagome's hand and pulled her along after him. Once they'd made it to the front, Inuyasha saw the large STARS Act poster on the door leading inside and one of his neighbors fidgeting and stumbling over his words as he tried to talk to a police officer.

The officer wasn't alone. He stood tall, far taller than Inuyasha's neighbor and he had a couple of officers standing behind him as well, interrogating other members of Inuyasha's apartment building. Inuyasha swallowed and felt Kagome move beside him, staring at the scene unfolding before them curiously.

"I-I've told you, officer, I'm not a member of the taijiya," the man mumbled out, shaking in his shoes as the tall officer glared down at him. Inuyasha recognized the man. He lived across the hall from him and he was a nice, little man. He worked hard to support his family—a wife and a little son—and he certainly was _not_ a taijiya.

"I'll ask you again. And this time, don't lie," the officer sneered, waving his hand so that it swept his jacket away from his side, conspicuously revealing his nightstick and a gun. Whether the officer had meant to do that as an intimidation tactic or he just hadn't noticed, it seemed to get the point across to the little man.

"We have evidence that you are in fact a member of the taijiya…"

"What evidence?" the man stumbled out, his eyes wide. "I'm not…"

"We are not liable to present this evidence," the cop said easily.

Inuyasha's neighbor shivered. "Please, I would never…"

"I thought I told you not to lie?" the officer asked again, his eyes narrowing.

"This is terrible," he heard Kagome mutter beside him. "He's not even trying to be fair."

Inuyasha nodded his head mutely; never taking is eyes off the pair before them. Other officers were moving along, shooing the crowd away. Silently, a good half of the crowd dispersed, leaving only a couple of stragglers standing in a mock semi-circle as they watched the police officers.

"I never would have guessed that Koji would be one of _them,_" an elderly women whispered to her companion as they watched the officers and the man before them.

"He seemed like such a good man, too. It's a good thing that the police will take care of this," the second elder whispered back, their voices hissing like two snakes. Inuyasha felt his fists clench.

"I think we'll need to take you downtown for questioning," the officer muttered out slowly, his voice laced with the slightest twist of amusement. Fury surged through Inuyasha.

"No, please, I'm not…"

"Resisting arrest, are we?" The officer tapped his hand against his belt, patting his gun. To some, this may seem like a subconscious gesture as he gazed down at the balding little man, but Inuyasha knew better. He could sense the malice thumping through the officer's body. He could smell the man's delight.

The overpowering stench of his neighbor's fright was wearing thin on his senses. Koji was certainly innocent and the policemen weren't even trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

'_This is Naraku's doing…'_ Inuyasha realized snidely. _'He's trying to make me angry by doing this. That's got to be it.'_

Inuyasha looked around hesitantly, searching for some sign of Naraku, as if the man would be sitting on a balcony some distance away and smirking happily to himself. But Inuyasha caught no sign of the prime minister nor did he see anything suspicious. But he knew that it was Naraku who had ordered the men here to interrogate Koji.

All around him different officers were interrogating each one of his neighbors. They were old, withered, and tired looking elders. They all looked terrified, but the other officers seemed to be far more lenient on them than the officer was with Koji.

They all looked like they were about to fall over and die of heart failure. Despite the fact that his neighbors were all withering old bats who enjoyed aggravating him about being too loud at night (when all he did was listen to his radio), and bothered him about being more respectable towards his elders, they were still his neighbors. They were still human. And they certainly weren't capable of being members of the elite demon exterminators.

Even though he knew that this was what Naraku wanted, it didn't stop Inuyasha from maintaining his temper.

Before he could stop himself, he released Kagome's hand and took a step forward. He heard Kagome's whispered protests about this, but he wasn't listening. He stepped toward the officer.

That one step seemed to be the wrong thing to do, however, because all the officers snapped their attention towards Inuyasha. The said dog demon swallowed slowly and glanced over his shoulder at Kagome, who was silently beckoning him back towards her with her blue eyes.

"You got a problem?" the tallest officer sneered. He turned his attention away from the trembling Koji and towards the black-haired man instead.

"Yeah," Inuyasha spoke firmly, his voice dropping a tenor deeper than normal. He swallowed again and stuffed his hands into his pockets to feign nonchalance while he was really clenching his fists to the point of his claws digging into his skin.

His lavender eyes swept over the scene before him again. "I do have a problem."

The officer seemed to not be inspecting that answer. "And why is that, boy?"

Inuyasha tilted his head to the side and glanced around. "You honestly think these people are members of the taijiya? They're _old._ Besides, he," Inuyasha turned to jab a finger at the man the officer had been interrogating and on the verge of arresting, "works in the grocery store down the street. You can even ask—"

"Be quiet boy," the officer snapped out, cutting Inuyasha's protests. "How dare you try to interfere with an arrest? That's a crime." The officer seemed to look over him before breaking out into a grin. "And you? Do you work at the grocery store?"

Inuyasha's brows knitted together. What was the officer getting at? "No."

"And you're certainly not 'old'," the man said slowly, his grin growing. Inuyasha didn't like the look the crooked officer was giving him. Whatever happened to relying on the police to protect you? At that moment, Inuyasha wanted nothing more than to run away from the men in blue. "So… by your descriptions… you must be a member of the taijiya."

'_This is what I get for opening my big mouth, I suppose,'_ Inuyasha thought sourly, his lips twisting into a deep frown. _'And that's the stupidest logic I've ever heard, too.'_

"Uh…" Inuyasha was cornered. He could deny it, of course, but something told him that just denying it wouldn't get the men off his back. The last thing he needed was some corrupted policemen. Terrific. "What are you talking about? Me? Hardly."

"You hesitated," the officer said breezily, grinning from ear to ear. Inuyasha glanced at Kagome hesitantly, but she seemed locked on what the policeman was saying. Could it be possible that she'd figured it out? Kagome was a smart girl, at this rate, it wouldn't take her long. In fact, he could be forced to do something drastic. Why did Kagome have to be _here_?

"I'm not a member of the taijiya," Inuyasha said firmly, with more conviction this time. "And neither are any of these people. We all work hard. I'm a student, I wouldn't have time to go and help demons."

He threw in the last bit of taijiya bias in hopes of swaying the man's suspicions. It didn't work. He continued grinning.

"A student, hm? A likely story."

"It's true!" This voice came from behind him and he watched Kagome step forward. She glared up at the officer, looking like she was about to run away or punch someone. "I'm his classmate."

"A weak alibi," the officer said indifferently. "You must be a member of the taijiya, too, then."

"What?" Kagome looked shocked for a moment and Inuyasha was about to jump to her defense when she started laughing. "I'm no demon exterminator!" she said between laughter. "Look at me? I'm small and weak."

Inuyasha did look at her. Kagome was a good actress, and it was true. She looked positively weak and skinny. Her long, slim body looked incapable of supporting any kind of weight. If he hadn't known for a fact that she was Kamen he would have to believe Kagome. The idea of her being a taijiya was absolutely ludicrous.

"That may be true, but your boyfriend here…" The officer glanced over his shoulder and signaled to his fellow officers. As they moved towards them, the tallest officer, the obvious leader, turned back to Inuyasha. "Get down on the ground with your hands behind your head."

"What? Why? Under what charges?" Inuyasha snapped out.

"Get down," the man said dangerously calm. "If you resist, you will be liable for jail time."

"On what charges?"

"You are in direct violation of the STARS Act," the officer said snippily, and jerked his head towards the ground, signaling for Inuyasha to move towards it. "You've complicated a police investigation and questioned our authority and intelligence."

The dog demon had never heard anything more ridiculous in his life. He glanced helplessly at the STARS Act poster behind the officers and silently cursed its existence. Then he cursed Naraku, because he knew that this was his entire fault.

"Get down," the man said again, "Before you're charged for resisting arrest."

Inuyasha slowly got on the ground and stayed flattened, placing his hands behind his head. A woman officer bent over and started feeling around his loose clothing. Inuyasha thanked whatever Gods out there that he wasn't wearing his taijiya uniform under his normal clothes, as he'd been prone to do (he'd had funny visions of him ripping his shirt off like Superman. He had yet to live this fantasy, though.)

He felt himself blushing as the woman moved her hands along him. Why couldn't they use a male officer? It wouldn't be as embarrassing… Realizing that that made him sound a little less than straight, even in his thoughts, Inuyasha quickly closed his mind and tried to ignore the feel of Kagome's eyes on him.

The officer stood up a couple moments later, holding a pair of keys. "To his apartment," she stated calmly and tossed them to her commanding officer. "We should inspect his apartment for incriminating evidence."

Kagome stood with her eyes wide and her body shaking. She hadn't known that the STARS Act entitled officers to cruel and unjustified treatment. And she didn't like it, for obvious reasons.

"You're coming with us," the officer commanded as he hauled Inuyasha up by the hem of his shirt. Inuyasha choked and coughed loudly when released, massaging his neck. The officers took no mind of the student's discomfort and continued forward towards his apartment. "Come, boy."

Inuyasha cast an apologetic look at Kagome before being forced to follow the officers. He saw Kagome try to follow only to be stopped by other officers that had stayed behind to interrogate the occupants of his apartment complex. The female officer and the tall officer pushed him up the stairs as they made their way to his apartment room. Inuyasha told them which door it was and watched as they unlocked his home and stumbled into his room.

His home was completely messy, one of his reasons not to bring Kagome here. He realized with some dread that his uniform was stuffed under his bed. The officers, if they truly planned to search his apartment, would find his taijiya uniform.

The two police men wasted no time. They started moving around his apartment, creeping about as if afraid that some demon would pop up from around the corner and attack them. They held him firmly by the shoulders for a brief moment before shoving him away as they searched his kitchen. Inuyasha swallowed. What was he going to do if they found his uniform? Would they arrest him? Or worse?

He didn't like the STARS Act, he decided, as he watched one of his plates fall from a cupboard the policewoman had whipped open and crashed to the floor. He decided again that he didn't like the STARS Act when his tea kettle was knocked to the ground and his refrigerator door was left open. He tapped his foot impatiently on the ground and considered darting to his room, grabbing his uniform, and making a mad break for the window.

He knew he wouldn't get far. All he could do was wait, it seemed.

After ransacking his kitchen and leaving a complete mess behind that rivaled even Inuyasha's ability to make messes, the two officers moved to his living room, where they upturned every cushion in his molding couch and checked in every nook and cranny.

Inuyasha's eyes darted to his room again. He was screwed. That was his luck.

With every passing minute they were approaching their final destination. Inuyasha felt the blood rush from his face. Should he kill the officers? Would Tokyo really miss corrupted and dirty cops? The answer was yes and Inuyasha wasn't sure if he could cope with killing two 'innocent' cops. They hadn't done anything to him—yet.

"Where are you hiding your weapons, exterminator?" the policewomen snapped out as she whipped her head around to glare at him. Inuyasha was taken aback by her abrupt questioning. He blinked slowly for a moment while he processed this information.

"Thinking up a lie?" the man asked and stood beside his fellow officer. They both stared at him with dark eyes burning with their hatred. They didn't even know him and they hated him. For one brief moment he thought that perhaps his sealing spell had slipped off. But no, his ring was still in place.

"No… I have no weapons…" Inuyasha said slowly, taking a step back when they both advanced on him.

"We know you're hiding them somewhere. It's best to come peacefully. I'm sure… arrangements can be made… down at the station. All you have to do is turn yourself over peacefully…"

"You think I'll turn myself in and snitch out people of some organization I'm not even a part of?" Inuyasha snapped out, quickly adding the last part.

The man's face darkened. "You're a lying bastard… and we're going to find you out."

Inuyasha stiffened slightly and suppressed a large growl that would certainly give away his species. Instead, he bit his tongue and watched the two continue to destroy his apartment. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sue them for anything. They were protected under the STARS Act. He was fighting a losing battle. Sooner or later they would enter his room, find his uniform and weapons, arrest him, and then…

He didn't want to think about it. He was jerked from his thoughts when the man grasped his shoulder and pulled him towards his bedroom. This was the moment of truth. He was as good as dead.

They threw things from his desk, sending his textbooks and his backpack flying. His lamp fell to the floor and the light bulb shattered. Inuyasha watched them, his lavender-eyed gaze wide and fearful. They were getting dangerously closer.

Suddenly, his window shattered and a figure jumped through the showering shards of broken glass. Inuyasha lifted his sleeve, shielding his eyes from the sudden burst of glass. When he uncovered his eyes, he was staring at the slim and regal form of Kamen.

He bit his lip to keep from saying her name. If the police officers thought he was in any way familiar with Kamen, he was as good as arrested, along with Kagome.

The two cops gaped openly at Kamen before the man whipped out his gun. He pointed it towards Kamen. "Put your hands up, taijiya. You're under arrest for conspiracy against the government and association with traitors."

Kamen didn't move; she grasped two darts, one in each hand. Her head moved a little as she observed the area around her. The cop kept his gun poised towards Kamen's chest.

"Get down on the ground," he commanded.

"Silence," the woman snapped out. The cop didn't seem to enjoy being commanded by a masked taijiya, and his furrowed brow and scrunched up face projected his disapproval of the situation at hand.

In a switch movement Inuyasha had come to associate with Kamen, she dove forward and dug the two darts into the two police officer's necks. They instantly collapsed to the ground. Inuyasha watched with muffled amusement as the man's head smacked against his desk. He officially loved karma.

"Er…" he stared at Kagome. What was he supposed to do now? He could tell her that he was Sha… but it didn't seem like the time. But pretending that he didn't know who she was seemed even worse.

"They're not dead," she informed him. "They won't wake up for a long while. They've both received huge doses of sleeping powder."

"Oh…" He paused. He might as well pretend that he didn't know who she was. "What are you doing here?"

"There have been a large number of disappearances in this area. I was sent to investigate it," Kamen said breezily.

'_Damn, she's a good liar,'_ Inuyasha thought with wonderment. _'But then again… she doesn't know who I am, really, and she doesn't know that I know who she is. So, I suppose this is just a cover up. People have been disappearing a lot lately.'_

"Oh," he said again.

There was a pregnant pause. "Why were they after you?"

Inuyasha blinked slowly and darted his eyes to his bed before sweeping them around his room to cover up the little slip up. It worked. Kamen didn't spare a glance at the hiding place of his uniform.

"They thought I was a demon exterminator," Inuyasha snorted and rolled his eyes. "And I defended my neighbor. They didn't like that." He gestured to the cops collapsed on the floor.

Kamen nodded mutely.

Inuyasha continued to inspect the cops on his floor. They'd wake up soon. But he wouldn't be here. And neither would his 'incriminating evidence'. When he looked up again, Kamen was gone.

* * *

"_Reports indicate that fifteen people have gone missing this week. The strange and seemingly random disappearances are suspected to be in relation to the Demon Exterminators and the demons themselves."_ Inuyasha stared blankly at the television on the other side of the glass. His eyes read the subtitles without truly understanding what the words implied.

When he'd left his home a quarter of an hour ago to dispose of the cops in a sewer (he'd picked the location himself) they still hadn't awoken. He'd quickly packed up some belongings, including his uniform, into a backpack and ran away from his home. Once the cops woke up, they'd come rampaging to his home to arrest him, whether they had proof of his career or not.

The TV he was watching through the glass displayed an information hotline in case anyone knew of the whereabouts of the kidnappers and kidnapped victims. Inuyasha sighed and his breath fogged up the glass.

He'd wondered about where to go the moment Kamen had disappeared. His first thought was to go to Kagome's house. But he didn't want her to get in trouble. He also thought of his mother's abandoned apartment, but knew that that would be one of the first places they'd look.

He fiddled idly with the ring on his middle finger, the one that kept his true features at bay. With another suppressed sigh, the boy turned away from the television

He'd go to the headquarters once Sango was there, in the morning. She'd be able to keep him safe until his case died down. He'd probably just stay Sha from now on. His other identity, the only identity he'd possessed until his twenty-second birthday, was now completely destroyed and unusable. After tonight, Inuyasha Takahashi would disappear from this world. He would be Sha—only Sha—for the rest of his life, it seemed.

Despite his better judgment, Inuyasha found himself returning to his apartment. He entered nimbly, his knapsack sliding from his shoulder as he dug around through his fridge. His bedroom on the other side of his small hallway harbored the cool night air left from Kamen's abrupt break in. Inuyasha leaned against the wall and watched the way his curtains flapped in the cool night breeze. He crunched desolately on some dry cereal.

After his cereal was eaten, he fingered the ring on his hand. The band gleamed in the light above his head.

"Well," he spoke after a pregnant pause, shattering the calm silence that had fallen over his apartment. "Goodbye, Inuyasha."

With that, he slipped off his ring and his true image rippled into sight. His black hair transformed into the blazing silver of his demon heritage. Claws, ears, and fangs were visible now. His golden eye stared at himself in the reflection of his microwave.

"I guess I'm just Sha, now."

"Such a shame," a voice said behind him.

Inuyasha tensed and whipped around, his golden eyes locking on Naraku. The said man smirked sinisterly, his arms behind his back and his legs spread shoulder length apart. Why hadn't he realized that Naraku was near?

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha snapped out.

"Just come to see how you're doing, that's all," Naraku said with a mirthless chuckle. He walked casually around his apartment, stepping on his fallen furniture and destroyed knickknacks the policemen had destroyed.

"Why did you send them here?" Inuyasha growled. "Why are you so keen on ruining the lives of innocent humans?"

"Innocent humans, Inuyasha?" Naraku asked causally. Inuyasha heard the underlying venom in the shape shifter's voice. "The innocent humans who are keen on killing you? On killing all demons? The innocent humans who are allowing the STARS Act to take place all over the world? The innocent humans who wouldn't bat an eye if I killed you right now?"

"So why don't you?" Inuyasha growled out, baring his fangs and narrowing his amber eyes.

Naraku chuckled. "You have no importance to me dead, Inuyasha."

"And why is _that_?" Inuyasha seethed, his eyebrows knitting and his face contorted in his disgust towards Naraku. The said man said nothing, simply observed him out of the corner of his eye as he moved along Inuyasha's destroyed apartment. "Answer me!"

"Why should I take orders from you?" Naraku asked casually, chuckling at Inuyasha's disgruntled expression. "You're nothing but a nuisance to me."

"Yet you're keeping me alive…" Inuyasha said slowly.

"Indeed."

"So why?" Inuyasha commanded.

"You've been hanging around Miss Kagome Higurashi lately, haven't you?" Naraku asked instead of answering Inuyasha's question. His dark red eyes glanced at Inuyasha before he chuckled and picked up a shattered photograph of a young Inuyasha with his mother.

"Why?" Inuyasha hissed out.

"Kagome's family is of great importance to me," Naraku said casually. "Her father was key for my plan six years ago. But he refused to cooperate. It was a sad day when I had to dispose of him." Naraku didn't sound like he regretted anything. "But my ice demon was more than happy to destroy him. "

"So you were responsible for her father's death?" Inuyasha growled out. He remembered Kagome's gorgeous blue eyes: The scars of a murder Kagome had committed.

Naraku chuckled. "Had her father been responsible with his priest powers, he would still be alive today. After he'd died, it seemed that my plan was ruined. But now…" Naraku paused to chuckle again. "Now father's precious little girl is displaying miko powers far greater than he."

"You're planning on using Kagome for something?" Inuyasha barked. "What?"

Naraku laughed again, lacking all mirth. "I hardly think it's fair for me to give away my plan to the likes of you, don't you agree?"

"It was you the other night… with the dart. You weren't aiming at me at all, were you?" Inuyasha's eyes widened. "You were trying to hurt Rin to get to Kagome, weren't you?"

"Let it never be said that you aren't a clever boy, hanyou," Naraku spoke slowly, his lips quirked in a smile.

"It will never work. Kagome will _never_ bend to your will. You'll have to kill her first," Inuyasha said confidently.

Naraku was silent for a long time. He dropped the photo he'd been looking at and the frame shattered as it hit the floor. He frowned quietly, his red eyes flashing in the darkness.

"But will you _let_ her die, Inuyasha?" Naraku asked.

His question seemed to shatter any resolve within Inuyasha. It felt as if he'd just gotten a sucker punch to his stomach. He couldn't breathe. He stared at Naraku wordlessly, his eyes wide.

Naraku's frown disappeared again. One eyebrow arched upwards and disappeared under his dark, wavy bangs.

"And now it seems that you've discovered why I'm here," Naraku whispered.

Inuyasha's golden eyes widened and he stood silently for a long moment. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"It's me you want," he whispered, his voice a throaty, scratchy murmur in the darkness. "In the minister's office… you told me that you wanted me to give you what you want. It was me you were talking about, wasn't it?"

"Such a clever boy," Naraku said again, his eyes glittering. He smiled sinisterly, sporting his gleaming white row of teeth. Dark crimson eyes watched Inuyasha's reaction as he digested the disaster before him.

"I… won't."

"Ah," Naraku sighed. "Perhaps I overestimated you. Perhaps you truly are an idiot." Naraku's eyes narrowed. "You will do as I command."

"I won't," Inuyasha said more firmly this time.

"If you don't… I'll ruin you. I'll destroy the three most important things in your life."

Inuyasha pursed his lips and glared at Naraku.

"I'll start with your mother…" Naraku said and laughed. Inuyasha resisted the urge to charge Naraku right then and there. The malevolent man continued, however. "Then I'll kill your precious partner, Kamen."

Naraku laughed. "Then I'll kill her. I'll kill Kagome."

He loomed over Inuyasha. Inuyasha hadn't even realized the shape shifter had moved. "And I'll make you watch her die slowly. I'll make you watch as the last breath of her life escapes her and she turns cold."

Inuyasha clenched his fists and threw a punch at the Ring Leader, who dodged it with an adroitness only obtained from years of dodging.

"I wouldn't get me angry if I were you, Inuyasha," Naraku laughed. "Do you not think I'm serious? Do you think that I won't kill your loved ones?"

Inuyasha was shaking—whether from terror or suppressed rage, Inuyasha wasn't sure. He clenched his eyes shut and his whole body tensed. It took all he could not to launch himself at Naraku and kill the prime minister. He knew that he would lose. He knew that he didn't stand a chance.

'_I told myself that I wouldn't let this happen. But what can I do? I can't go with Naraku because then I'll be betraying Kagome. But if I don't go with Naraku… he'd kill mom, and Kagome. What can I do?'_

The only comfort he received was that Naraku didn't know that Kagome and Kamen were one and the same. But this slight advantage was overshadowed by the impending terror that stood only a short few feet from him.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth. What could he do? Naraku would destroy everything he found important and everything that he loved. He was backed into a corner. There was only one thing he could do.

"You won't hurt them?"

"If you join me, they will be unharmed," Naraku replied.

Inuyasha clenched his eyes shut again, wishing that there was some way that he could get out of this. Wishing that there was someway that he could save his mother and Kagome without bending to the Ring Leader's wishes.

He would save them. He would save them no matter what. Even if he had to destroy everything but them, he would protect his family. He would protect the ones he cared for, the ones that believed in him.

He sighed and bit his tongue, feeling his fang almost pierce the muscle.

"Fine…"

* * *

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called as she knocked on the door of Inuyasha's apartment. She checked the number again to make sure that it was indeed Inuyasha's home. She only knew where he lived from the outside, where she'd shattered his bedroom window yesterday.

She paused and knocked again. "Inuyasha, are you home?"

Perhaps he'd left? It was all over the news that the two cops Kagome had poisoned were found in a ditch on the other side of Tokyo. She'd been sure to infect them with long lasting sleeping powder as well as a mild poison that restricted the throat. The two cops wouldn't be able to speak of what happened for a long while. Until then, Inuyasha was safe. She'd assumed that he would call her. They'd been going out steadily for the past week and everything. But…

She knocked again and dared to try the door. It wasn't locked, which surprised Kagome. She inched the door open and peeked inside. Her blue eyes swept over the destroyed apartment. Inuyasha hadn't even tried to fix it up from the interrogation from the police.

She opened it completely inside. "Inuyasha?" she called out. "Are you here?"

She slipped off her shoes and fixed a nonexistent wrinkle in her sky blue sundress. She was worried about him. She stopped by to make sure he wasn't hurt. She almost wished he wasn't here. That meant that he was safe somewhere and waiting for everything to die down.

She turned the corner from the foyer and into the living room. She was shocked to see Inuyasha and nearly jumped out of her skin. He was standing in the middle of the wreckage of his apartment, staring at the large, shattered window in his living room. Who else had broken in? Or had the police done that as well?

His back was to her but when she entered the room; he slowly turned his head, glancing at her over his shoulder. He stared at her for a long moment, his lavender eyes seeming to pierce her soul. His face was apathetic, lacking all emotion.

Slowly, he turned completely and faced her. Kagome stood hesitantly, fiddling with her fingertips as she grasped the hem of her sundress.

"Are you okay?" Kagome whispered with her blue eyes wide. "Did the police hurt you?"

He shook his head mutely. Kagome bit her lip, and hesitantly ran her fingers through her long, wavy black hair.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked, taking a step towards him. Her socked feet padded across his floor and she reached out a hand to brush his bangs affectionately away from his forehead.

He took a step back away from her. "Don't touch me."

The three words seemed to burn Kagome and she stopped abruptly, extracting her hand and cradling it against her chest as if he'd truly just burned her. She stared at him as if she'd just been scandalized.

She lowered her gaze to her feet before looking back up at him, looking like she was on the verge of tears.

"What happened? What's the matter? Did they hurt you?" Kagome asked, hoping that that was the reason he'd just shunned her and not because he was repulsed by her touch.

"It doesn't matter," Inuyasha sighed and looked away, his violet eyes staring out the window and catching the rays of the sunlight streaming through. Kagome bit her lip again.

"It matters to me," Kagome insisted.

"It shouldn't," he snapped out, returning his attention to Kagome's form. He towered over her, his body tensed and his fists clenched. He looked angry. "I don't care about you, so I don't know why you care so much about me!"

Kagome gasped and took another step back, her leg bumping against an upturned coffee table. She stared at him in complete horror. Her blue eyes were glowing sadly, and she looked like she was desperately fighting back tears.

"What do you…?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Inuyasha snorted. This wasn't like the Inuyasha she knew. What could be wrong with him? "I don't like you. You're a nuisance and you're always in the way."

"No… I'm…"

"God, woman, how dense can you be?" Inuyasha laughed mirthlessly. He closed his eyes, shielding the image of a depressed Kagome. "Don't you see that I only wanted you for…?"

"Don't say it." Kagome whispered, stopping him. "You don't mean that."

"You really are stupid, aren't you?" Inuyasha murmured, reopening his hard, lilac colored eyes. "You wouldn't give me what I want, and I'm tired of waiting."

"But I thought…"

"You thought wrong," he cut her off. "I only wanted a lay. But you wouldn't give it to me. And I don't want to wait."

Kagome fidgeted, tethered between believing his words and trying to disprove the obvious delusion he'd weaved himself in. She buoyed on the surface of her turmoil.

"You don't mean that," she said again, though this time with much less conviction.

She heard Inuyasha sigh again. The kind of sigh a mother uses with a tiresome child. Kagome ducked her head, not wanting to see the look on the man's face.

"You don't know me, little girl. Go home."

Kagome lifted a hand and shamefully wiped a tear away from her clouded blue-grey eyes. The shining orbs were dulled with her conflicting emotions and the crush of his harsh words.

"I…" Kagome sighed in defeat. "I never knew you were one who enjoyed suffering, Inuyasha. I thought you were different from the other guys." She felt dirty and Inuyasha's cruel words only added more salt to her wounds. "I thought you cared."

"You thought wrong," was all Inuyasha said. He turned his attention away from her again. The sunlight danced off his silky black hair, and he almost looked angelic. If Kagome didn't know any better, she would have thought he looked positively charming and handsome in the sunlight of the day.

She took a step away from him and couldn't control the tears in her eyes again. She ran quickly from him, only pausing to slip on her shoes and run from the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

"I hate you!" echoed down the halls, muffled by the heavy wood between the two.

Inuyasha turned his attention back to the door that had just slammed shut. Had Kagome looked up when she was speaking to Inuyasha, she would have seen the truly and undeniably tortured look on his face as he spoke to her. In the wake of her departure, he felt empty and dirty.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered and slipped off his ring again. Naraku had made him wear it for the occasion. He ducked his head, his now silver bangs shadowing his woebegone eyes.

Naraku slunk out from the shadows, his presence sending a shiver down his spine. A certain darkness seemed to fill the room.

"It's time to go, half breed," Naraku spoke coldly. Inuyasha nodded silently, turned towards his new master, and moved towards him. Naraku chuckled mutely to himself.

As the two slowly sunk back into the shadows, Inuyasha's thoughts focused on only one girl. A girl that he cared for almost too much. Silently, he called out to that sobbing girl and wordlessly begged for her forgiveness.

'_I'll save you, Kagome… but please… please try and forgive me.'_


	14. Chapter 14

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

"Welcome to your new home," Naraku spoke after almost an hour of silence. Inuyasha looked around the room Naraku had brought him to. He had no idea where he was except that he was still in Tokyo. And that didn't help him in the least.

Inuyasha took a step into the room and glanced over his shoulder. Naraku was gone. Inuyasha sighed and fell onto the old cot that was probably supposed to serve as his bed. He felt empty and tired, but he didn't want to sleep. He would never have another peaceful night of sleep again, it seemed.

His dark musings were interrupted when a figure stepped into the room. For one brief, wild moment, one wonderful and glorious moment, he thought that it was Kagome. But his soaring hopes shattered instantly when he recognized it as Kagome's betraying sister, Kikyou.

He slunk away from the woman when she entered and pressed his back against the wall. He drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. He sent her a warning glare, his golden eyes narrowed.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Inuyasha snapped out, hiding his surprise at seeing a woman he thought was dead. It was kind of spooky. He didn't like it. To cover up his discomfort, the man growled angrily at her, feeling the hairs on the back of his head bristle.

"Stay away from me," he growled. Kikyou had tricked him. Kikyou had fooled her sister, and he would never forgive Kikyou for that look he'd left on Kagome's face.

"I have my orders," Kikyou sighed and moved towards him, ignoring his warning growl. He reared up when she approached and felt her pulsing miko energy. He stiffened. "I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to remove this."

It was in that instant that he realized that Kikyou was holding the rosary that had chained him to Kagome. He stared at it for the longest moment, staring at the purple beads and youkai teeth as if only seeing it for the first time. He'd forgotten that he wore it. Kagome rarely used the sit command. It was what bounded him to her unwillingly at first.

"Don't touch it!" he tried to jerk away, but it was too late. A blast of miko energy from Kikyou's hand shattered the ancient magic that held the rosary around his neck.

Instantly, countless amounts of beads shot through the room, the teeth clinking to the ground dully as the balls of glass bounced and shattered across the room. The weight on his neck was gone instantly. With a gentle sweep, Kikyou was gone, leaving him completely alone.

He sat there dully, watching as a solitary bead rolled across the linoleum floor. It came to a halt when it ran into the wall. Small shards of glass littered the floor but Inuyasha didn't care. The last thing that kept him near Kagome was destroyed right before his eyes. And he never really truly got to say goodbye to her. The next time he saw Kagome, he probably wouldn't be welcomed.

* * *

Kagome dashed up the stairs of the university building. She'd left her home early in order to get to her history class early. She wanted to see Inuyasha. After his harsh words in his apartment, she'd run home crying, deciding that he was the worst kind of man on earth. But, after a couple of hours to cool down, she'd realized that she had to talk to him. Really talk to him, without breaking down into tears and declaring that she hated him. Because she didn't.

She paused and clenched the material of her t-shirt, just above her heart. It was pounding hard, and not just from running down the street to class. She sighed and took in a deep breath, trying to regain her composure.

She entered the classroom and was sad to see that she was the first one there. Inuyasha was absent. _'It's okay, I just came too early. I'll talk to him when he gets here.'_

She sat down and stared at the doorway. She prayed that Inuyasha would get here soon so that she would be able to talk to him without others seeing. She wanted to talk to Inuyasha. She hadn't realized just how much she liked him, just how much she felt connected to him, until he'd completely dumped her like he had yesterday.

But as the minutes slowly ticked by and students silently filed into the classroom, Kagome realized that Inuyasha wasn't coming. She sighed sadly, disappointment evident on her etched features.

'_Come to think of it… no one's here today,'_ Kagome realized. True enough, only about a third of the class was present. The countless numbers of empty seats was almost frightening.

Then the door clicked open and Kagome whipped her head towards it, hoping that it was Inuyasha. She was once again disappointed to see the professor from the next room enter.

Professor Hango, a younger woman, was a startling contrast to their older male professor who typically taught the class. She cleared her throat as if wishing to draw attention towards her. She needn't bother. Every pair of eyes in the room was on her.

"Your professor as well as the majority of your classmates," the young female professor started without preamble. "Are all incredibly sick. It is my greatest regret that I inform you all that for the first time in thirty years… there has been a case of smallpox."

A hushed silence followed this statement and Kagome stared in wide eyed fascination. _'Now I understand why Sango insisted on the smallpox vaccine. This is obviously Naraku's doing.'_

"Until further notice, the university will be shut down. Students are advised to get vaccinations for smallpox, stay in their house, and not to leave until further notice." She eyed all the students, who were sitting stiffly, staring down at her in horror from their vantage point in the lecture hall. She nodded her head. "Please be safe and get home quickly."

With that, she exited the room and Kagome's classmates erupted into a frenzy to get out of the room.

'_I hope Inuyasha's okay,'_ was Kagome's only thought.

* * *

Inuyasha was anything but okay. He'd been stuck in his room for what seemed like hours. His only company was the ticking of the clock on his wall and the shadows that crept over the floor from the dirty window on the other side of the room.

The dog demon sighed, resting his head against the wall as he stared idly out the window. He would give anything to be in any other position. Everything had just exploded into one major dramatized sitcom in the space of one day. His days before his twenty-second birthday seemed so long ago. His eyes saddened.

He felt his demon blood thumping through him and clenched his eyes shut. He'd been having trouble controlling himself the past couple hours. His overpowering emotions were triggering some reaction within him. He'd caught himself in the reflection of the window a couple hours ago and had seen a red-eyed monster staring back at him.

"Because that's what I am," he whispered. "A monster."

He fiddled with the sash of his taijiya uniform. The giant red belt felt silky under his fingertips. He stared out the window again, watching the sun sink into the west. He blew out a stream of breath from his mouth. What had he done to deserve this?

"Inuyasha," greeted Naraku as he strolled into the room. He regarded Inuyasha silently, a look of disgust in his eyes. "You have work to do. Get up."

Inuyasha hesitantly obeyed; standing and glaring defiantly at the Ring Leader. Naraku snorted and jerked his head towards the doorway. "Your captain is outside."

"Captain?" Inuyasha snarled.

"You really think I'm going to let you go out there alone?" Naraku laughed at the idea. "I can't have you rampaging through Tokyo alone, now can I? Do you take me for a fool?"

Inuyasha glared again.

"Ah… one more thing," Naraku said icily, his dark eyes glowing with his malice. Inuyasha continued to shoot daggers with his eyes. Naraku dug around in his pocket and extracted an ear communicator.

"So I can keep tabs on you," Naraku whispered, smirking sinisterly as he watched Inuyasha push it into his ear. Inuyasha ducked his head, staring at his feet. How had he succumbed to this? What had he done to deserve this?

'_You were born,'_ the voice in the back of his head reminded him. Inuyasha was beginning to detest his thoughts.

Half an hour later he was trailing behind two other demons. One smelled like a cat demon and the other some kind of reptile, but he didn't dare question the two. He didn't want anything to do with them. They were an eyesore and preventing him from warning Kagome of what might come.

'_Kagome…'_ his thoughts drifted back to the girl. His eyes saddened. _'She probably hates me now. Damn you, Naraku, why couldn't you have just taken me away? Why did you make me hurt her, too?'_

"Hurry it up, halfling," the cat demon snapped, his deep tenor of a voice penetrating his thoughts. Inuyasha nodded grimly.

They landed on top of a roof. "What are we doing?"

His two companions gave one another a look. A look that clearly stated that they hated being here with him. Inuyasha bit his lip and said nothing more.

"Smell anything?" the lizard demon said instead.

Inuyasha sniffed. "Um… no…"

The other two nodded. The dog demon, even as a hanyou, had a stronger scent than the cat and the lizard. "Break in."

"What?" Inuyasha asked, alarmed.

"You heard me, break in," the lizard repeated.

"Why?"

"Naraku-sama needs money. We're at a bank. Do it," the cat snarled, his emerald green eyes narrowing dangerously as he glared at Inuyasha. Neither of his pureblooded companions wished to associate themselves with him, but it was obvious that Naraku had forced them.

Inuyasha did as he was commanded and smashed through the roof of the bank. He landed nimbly on the ground amid fallen debris. The cat and the lizard followed after him, bounding towards the locked safe behind the counter. Within moments they returned, money stuffed into knapsacks. They threw two to the hanyou, who caught them easily.

"Let's get out of here. There may be a silent alarm that was triggered," the lizard spoke with a flick of his tongue. The feline and canine followed after the reptile and they hurried away into the night.

"Now what?" Inuyasha asked when he realized that they were not heading back to the Ring Leader's headquarters. "What do we have to do, now?"

"Naraku-sama needs more humans," his reptile companion spoke, glaring at the hanyou, as if scandalized by the mere idea of the dog demon speaking to him. Inuyasha frowned.

"Humans? What for?" His thoughts instantly went to Izayoi, trapped somewhere in the bowels of Naraku's base.

"We do not question our master," the cat snapped, his fire red hair flaming in the dying embers of the sunset. "And neither should you. We do as we are instructed, nothing more."

Stars dotted the dark horizon in the east. Inuyasha's world was growing increasingly darker and he watched the sun sink directly below. In the distance, the waning moon glowed in the sky. It was less than a month ago that he'd learned of Kamen's identity. It seemed like an eternity since then…

"There," the reptile instructed, pointing a scaled finger down to an alleyway. There were a group of teenaged boys, all laughing and smoking. The smoke rose slowly into the air, weaving through the boys' shaggy hair. "There's about six here. Perfect for Naraku-sama's collection."

"Collection…?" Inuyasha whispered.

"Each of us will take two," the cat spoke to the reptile and glanced hesitantly at Inuyasha. "Can you even handle two humans, half breed?"

"I'm not weak if that's what you're thinking," Inuyasha grouched, tightening his hold on the knapsack slung over his back. "Don't underestimate me."

"Good. Let's go," the cat ignored Inuyasha's protests and dropped to the ground, landing with such grace that only a cat could possess. With a loud hiss, claws slung out and lashed at two of the boys. The other four screamed in surprise and backed away, dropping their cigarettes in an attempt to run away.

Inuyasha and the reptile demon dropped down after the cat and slashed at their victims. Inuyasha made sure only to knock out the two he'd taken on. He didn't want to hurt them, though he knew that what Naraku planned to do with the humans was probably worse than some slashes to the chest.

"Let's go before the taijiya show up," the cat said and slung two humans over his shoulders.

"Too late," a feminine voice said behind them. The three men whipped around to see Sango standing there, a large boomerang perched behind her. She was poised to throw it. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted Inuyasha.

"Sha?" she asked hesitantly. "What are you…?"

Understanding dawned on the woman's face before her eyes narrowed. "Traitor," she hissed. "How dare you show your face in my quarter?"

Before Inuyasha knew what was happening, his two companions had grasped his humans, thrown them over their shoulders, and disappeared fro the alleyway, running along the rooftops, leaving him alone with Sango.

Inuyasha stood, rooted to the ground, his golden eyes wide in horror as a large weapon came flying at him. He quickly dodged it, ducking behind a dumpster just in the nick of time.

"You damn traitor!" Sango seethed again. Sango was scary when she was angry, he decided silently. "What are you doing associating yourself with _them_?"

Inuyasha jumped away from the dumpster just as Sango's large weapon smashed into the metal, shredding it in half like a piece of paper. Inuyasha panted, moving as quickly as possible so as not to get injured.

'_I can't tell her the truth. Naraku will find out. I must protect them._' Inuyasha swallowed and charged towards Sango, sending a roundhouse kick towards her face. She ducked and he landed awkwardly on his left foot, bounced, and dodged a kick to his own head.

"Have you always been on his team?" Sango snapped out. "A double agent?"

"No," Inuyasha spoke, while burying all of his emotions deep within him. A tone of indifference and apathy would be the best approach to this. If Sango believed him to be willingly with Naraku, then she wouldn't know that Naraku was blackmailing him. He had to protect Kagome and his mother.

"_Fight her_," a voice hissed in his ear. He recognized it as Naraku's voice, speaking to him through his communicator. Inuyasha bit his lip and scratched his ear, trying to get used to the Ring Leader's voice in his ear. "_Destroy her_."

He had to save Kagome and his mother.

'_But are Kagome and Mother worth saving if it means killing so many people?'_ the annoying voice in the back of his head whispered. Inuyasha clenched his jaw. _'Willing to sacrifice so many people for the sake of two lives?'_

"Naraku just offered me a deal I couldn't refuse," Inuyasha said nonchalantly. It wasn't a lie, but to Sango, it sounded like he was probably offered riches of some sort.

His assumption was correct. Sango looked utterly pissed and she snorted. "You won't be able to live. You have important information about our headquarters and our operations. I can't let you live."

"Just try and stop me," Inuyasha whispered out and launched himself towards Sango. This time, his kick caught Sango in the side of her face and she went flying, slamming against the wall of the building siding one half of the alley the two stood in.

He towered over Sango and pressed his foot against her back, keeping her on the ground. She grunted in pain.

"You're a weak human," Inuyasha snarled out and pressed firmly against the woman's back. He heard a small pop as she struggled to get back up. She gasped in surprise and fell still. Inuyasha inwardly cringed. It sounded like she'd just cracked her knuckles, only in her back. But she was still moving, so he knew he'd done nothing serious.

"I'll kill you… we'll kill you…" Sango snarled as she struggled to get his weight off her. She launched out her hand, attempting to grasp his leg, but he quickly jumped off her.

She moved quickly to her feet and snarled angrily. "Traitor," she said again. "You'll pay for this."

They continued fighting. A strategically placed punch gave Sango a bloody nose and a blackened eye. He felt guilty for hurting his captain, but he had no choice. In the long run, he would protect her from Naraku. In the long run… he may end up killing her, too.

He dodged a dart that went soaring past his face. He jumped and ducked as a small storm of darts flew at him. With a mighty leap, he dove behind a trashcan and knelt, blocking his frame from Sango's firing range.

"Come out and face me, coward!" Sango was far more upset than Inuyasha had expected her to be.

The trashcan he was hiding behind suddenly blasted into the air. A small bomb rolled towards him and he yelped in surprise, leaping away just in time as the small golf-ball sized bomb exploded with a tiny blast.

"I know that you know Kamen's identity!" Sango snarled as she appeared right in front of him. He didn't have time to react as she grasped the front of his uniform and slammed him against the wall with a strength he hadn't known a human woman could possess.

"How do you know that?" Inuyasha wheezed out, trying to breathe. It was hard with Sango restricting his airways.

Sango's eyes remained narrowed. "Well, I do now."

Inuyasha cursed his stupidity. But Sango continued.

"You know who she is, and yet you still betray her? Betray us? I will not allow you to hurt my cousin. I will not allow you to betray our secrets!" Sango was beyond angry, it seemed.

"Sango… you don't understand…"

Sango cut him off. "Have you been planning this the entire time? Have you been bidding your time before you could betray us and betray our secrets?"

"Shut up, woman!" Inuyasha growled out loudly, struggling against Sango's grip. He broke free when his foot lifted and shoved against her knee. "You don't know _anything_."

"I know enough!" Sango countered.

They threw punches at each other, their knuckles colliding with the bones in their face. Inuyasha cringed as she sent a kick to his ribs. He didn't hesitate: he grasped the said foot and threw her to the ground, causing her to gasp in surprise and groan in pain.

She was on her feet again quickly, however, undaunted by Inuyasha's attack.

They came together again, throwing their fists in random directions, praying to catch some part of their opponent.

He threw a punch to Sango's stomach and kneed her face when she doubled over. She gasped in pain and collapsed to the ground. He sent a kick to her side, sending her across the pavement again. She sprawled out on the tough concrete and she coughed, a small splatter of blood escaping her mouth.

He bit his lip. He had to finish her off. He stood over her and dug his foot into her stomach. She moaned in pain, her eyes squeezing shut.

"Just kill me quickly, _half breed,_" she hissed darkly, her body tensed. She coughed again and more blood oozed from her mouth. She whispered something not even Inuyasha's expert hearing could detect.

Inuyasha felt like a little boy again. A little boy who'd just realized he'd done something terribly wrong. All he wanted to do in that moment was crawl into a hole, curl up, cry, and wait for his mother to come and tell him everything would be okay.

But nothing would be okay after this.

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha spoke before kicking Sango's head and knocking the woman out.

She lay there, sprawled against the pavement, her body limp and bleeding. He'd done this to her. Who would be next to suffer because of him?

He bent down and plucked the communicator from her ear. Hesitantly he pushed the small button red button that signaled immediate help. A small, shrill squeak omitted itself from the device before a crackling of someone picking up the communicator from the other end.

"Sango? Sango, are you there? Sango?" Inuyasha recognized the voice as Sango's father, Hiro. What would Hiro do once he discovered that one of his taijiya had betrayed them and almost killed his daughter?

"Sango?" the man repeated. Inuyasha dropped the communicator onto Sango's stomach. They would come for her and she would be healed. She would be safe. When she awoke, she would tell everyone about what he'd done. He could no longer be Sha or Inuyasha. He was a dead man.

He was a traitor.

* * *

"Here." Inuyasha released a tiny grunt of surprise as a large tank of unknown contents was shoved into his stomach. He wobbled in his step for a second before moving towards the water pipe. He wasn't sure what exactly it was he was pouring into the water supply, but, seeing as how it was Naraku's plan, it couldn't be good.

For what seemed like eternity Inuyasha and a large group of demons had been pouring the water tank's contents into Tokyo's water supply. He knew there wasn't anything good in the water, but he couldn't resist. Every time he even showed sign of rebellion, Naraku would mention Kagome or his mother.

He squeezed his eyes shut. His familiar ordeal with the two women were coming back to haunt him. Who knew what damage he could be causing just this moment? Was doing everything Naraku said, kidnapping humans, stealing money and supplies, fighting his old teammates… was it all worth the life of two women when in the long run he could be leading to a large genocidal conflict?

Inuyasha felt the color leave his face. He didn't want to think about the consequences of his actions.

The police had rolled by in their patrol car a little while ago and Inuyasha had feared that they would be arrested and killed. But his fears proved to be irrational. His 'captain' told the officer that they were with Naraku.

Inuyasha had been equally shocked to see the man nod his head, return to his police car, and drive away. That confirmed that Naraku was bribing the government from the inside out. It was enough to make him sick.

"Work faster," the cat demon from before snapped out, his green eyes narrowed in frustration. Inuyasha did as he was told. He did not wish to anger them. Who knew what would happen if he disobeyed orders. He would not gamble Kagome and his mother's lives like that.

'_So, Naraku's making us pour some kind of chemical into the water supply… the police are in on it… the STARS Act is supporting inhumane actions from the police… I'm being blackmailed to work with Naraku… I've almost killed Sango… and my back hurts. What else could possibly go wrong?'_ Inuyasha lifted the now empty tank and set it down before trudging back over to grab another one. _'What is Naraku plotting?'_

"Faster," the cat demon warned. Inuyasha frowned and quickened his pace.

They continued working for what seemed like hours. His back was hurting and he had a splitting headache working hard at pounding against his skull. He paused momentarily to rub at his forehead, pressing his palm against his warmed skin.

"We're almost done," he heard the cat mutter out to his fellow workers. Inuyasha nearly sighed in relief. Whatever it was that he was doing would soon come to an end and he could put this depressing night behind him.

'_But then again, I'm sure the worse has yet to come,'_ he thought bitterly as he watched the liquid pour into the water pipe.

* * *

"You will join us," Inuyasha said tartly, staring down at the shivering man. He was a young fox demon who'd stumbled upon his path. He remembered Naraku's cold instructions to capture and recruit any demon he came across.

"_And should the demon refuse…"_ Naraku had said calmly, _"Kill it."_

The young kitsune trembled, his bottom lip quivering as he stared up at him helplessly, his chocolate brown eyes watering. "Please…"

"You will join Naraku-sama," Inuyasha said again, biting back his disgust at his own attitude. He was threatening another demon to join Naraku, when he didn't even want to be on Naraku's team? Wait, not he wasn't. "Or else."

Now he was.

"Please… I cannot… I'm…" the fox trembled and cringed as Inuyasha shot his hand out and grasped the front of the man's shirt, lifting him effortlessly up. He clenched his eyes shut and whimpered again, his fox tail twitching behind him. "Please… put me down…"

"No," Inuyasha said curtly.

The man flinched and snapped his eyes open. He glared at Inuyasha and growled. Inuyasha was startled by the sudden change in attitude. The kit had gone from a groveling child to a surly man almost instantly. But then again, kitsune were famous for their trickery.

"I'd rather die than fight for that murder," the fox hissed out, his brown eyes burning with fury.

"Then you leave me no choice," Inuyasha whispered. But how could he kill another demon? How could he kill someone for standing up against the murdering jerk?

"_What are you waiting for?"_ Naraku's voice hissed._ "Kill him for disobeying me. Now."_

Inuyasha swallowed and slammed the fox against the wall. The boy gasped, his black hair fluttering at the sudden force. He bit back a moan of pain only for his coffee colored eyes to widen when Inuyasha's claws aimed towards him.

"No, please I'll—" Whatever the kitsune was about to say would never be heard. Inuyasha slammed his eyes shut as the boy's head limped to the side.

Numbly, the hanyou stepped away and hung his head in shame, listening to the thud of a lifeless body hitting the ground. He bit his lip.

'_What have I done?'_ he thought sadly, nearly drowning in his disgust and shame.

His moment of self revulsion was interrupted, however, with the sudden hiss of a smoke screen releasing. Inuyasha watched as green gas flooded the alleyway he'd just hidden in to murder an innocent kitsune.

Inuyasha had the sense to pull on his gas mask, watching for the demon exterminators he knew had arrived. Had Sango recovered so quickly that they knew of his betrayal yet? Or was she still incapable of movement?

As the green smoke cleared Inuyasha saw the feminine figure before him. His whole body filled with dread as he gazed at the demon hunter before him.

'_Why did it have to be her?'_

Kagome stood silently, staring at him through her goggles. Even though she wore the goggles over her eyes, he knew that her focus was solely on him. Her mouth was parted slightly in petrified shock. She hadn't expected him to be here.

"Sha? Is that you? What are you doing here?" Kamen asked, her voice shaking. She didn't want to believe what she saw.

Inuyasha swallowed, his golden eyes wide in shock.

Kagome herself had been out searching for Inuyasha. After his disappearance and the knowledge that people had become infected with smallpox, Kagome had worried over the notion that perhaps Inuyasha had become infected as well and had been sent to the hospital. The problem was that the hospitals in Tokyo wouldn't let her see the smallpox patients for fear of infecting outsiders, and they refused to offer any information to non-family members.

But as she'd been searching for some sign of Inuyasha's disappearance, she'd seen the strange activity around the city. Then, she'd felt the pressure of a life force extinguishing. Seeing Sha, her partner, who hadn't shown up at work for the past few days and hadn't been answering his communicator, at the scene of the crime was a little more than a shock.

Kagome tried speaking again. She didn't understand why the hanyou was here.

"_Fight her,_" Naraku's voice hissed in his ear. "_Fight her or I'll make you pay._"

Inuyasha forced the small whimper back down his throat. He would not allow Naraku or Kagome to see his weakness. He steadied himself and straightened his back. He would have to keep Kagome away from him. He would protect her at all costs.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome asked again, finally finding her voice. Her eyes flickered towards the dead body behind Inuyasha, silently bleeding on the ground.

"Just what it looks like," Inuyasha answered once he'd swallowed the bile rising in his throat. He stared at her coldly, trying to stifle any emotions that could leak through in his facial expression. He would not allow Kagome to see his pain. He had to protect her. He had to make her believe.

"You…"

"I work for Naraku," Inuyasha said easily, feigning nonchalance. Kagome stiffened and he could almost imagine her beautiful blue eyes widening. "This fool wouldn't join us."

"You're lying…" Kagome whispered. Inuyasha's silver ears twitched with her breathless question.

He forced out a dry, mirthless laugh. "You wish."

Kagome inhaled sharply and stood uneasily before him. She tensed up and her legs bent. Was she going to attack him? Inuyasha steadied himself. He felt like he might just fall down from all that was happening; he was becoming overwhelmed. Would Kagome attack him just as Sango had?

He licked his dry lips and stared hard at her. He knew she was returning the gaze, even through the thick black glass that shielded the majority of her face.

"Well?" he ventured after a long pause. He continued to glare at her.

Kagome still didn't say anything, she just simply stared. Inuyasha was becoming unnerved by the silence. Why wasn't she saying anything?

"_Fight her.._." Naraku was speaking to him, Inuyasha realized after a second. He inclined his head, his ear twitching as he tried to digest Naraku's words. He swallowed the large lump lodged in his throat. "_Don't let her get away, either._"

With Naraku's instructions chanting in his head like a never ending mantra, Inuyasha launched towards Kagome. Kagome, to her credit, didn't realize what he was doing until he was almost there. With the fluid grace that Inuyasha associated with Kagome, the young ninja ducked his oncoming kick and swept her leg out, catching the back of his knee and knocking him to the ground.

She leapt away from him, refusing to land another punch on him. She was going for the more evasive approach, he realized grimly. She didn't want to hurt him… yet. That would soon change thanks to Naraku.

Inuyasha quickly stood to his full height, staring down at Kagome with a look of what he hoped was distaste. He wouldn't allow Kagome to read his eyes. He knew that his eyes would give everything away if he gave her the chance. And he had to protect her. Who knew what Naraku could be planning at this moment?

"Why are you doing this?" Kagome gasped out as he threw a punch, catching her shoulder and making her fall to the ground with the force of his attack. She was quickly on her feet, however, and throwing her hands up and dodging the man's punches. "Sha! Please, don't do this!"

He bit back his grimace of pain at the sound of her pleading. _'God, don't do this Kagome,'_ he thought bitterly, _'it would be so much easier if you'd just hate me and fight me.'_

"Sha…!" Kagome whispered again. "Please."

He didn't listen. He refused to listen. He threw his leg out and caught her stomach with his heel. With a small grunt of pain, Kagome stumbled backwards into the wall. She wasn't fighting back. She wasn't even trying to stop him. She rested her body against the wall, panting.

"Don't do this," she pleaded again. Inuyasha would have given anything for her to just shut her mouth and attack him. Anything would be better than hearing her heart broken voice calling out to him. Did she honor his companionship this much?

He approached her, his shadow covering her in its dark pall. His body blocked out the waning moon behind him, casting the night into temporary darkness. Kagome's eyes widened beneath her goggles as she stared at the approaching hanyou.

"S… Sit…" she whispered out. She hadn't wanted to use the word, but if it was the only way to get Inuyasha to go back to his right mind.

'_He can't be doing this voluntarily;_' she thought sourly, _'Naraku must have done something to him. I have to snap him out of it. Like I did the day he lost control of his blood.'_

Inuyasha heard the word but wasn't plummeted to the ground. He swallowed again. This was the time to show Kagome that he wasn't on her side anymore. He steadied himself, and then forced a hollow laugh out of his lips, startling the girl.

"I don't have that collar anymore," Inuyasha whispered icily, praying that Kagome couldn't see through his ruse. "I am no longer bounded to you."

Kagome's still and stiff posture signaled that she didn't like what she was seeing and hearing. He slunk up towards her, pressing her against the wall. He leaned in close, his breath breezing over her cheek. His lips brushed over her ear.

"And," he whispered, his voice piercing every fiber of Kagome's being. "You can no longer hold me down…"

He heard Kagome's sharp intake of breath. Before he could pull away, he felt a hand touch his chest, almost in a comforting fashion. Then he felt a warm prickling sensation.

His eyes widened in shock as he was sent backwards, sprawling on the ground as he was blasted by Kagome's miko energy. There was a burnt hole in his uniform and he could see the tender skin underneath turning a bright pink and a deep, scarlet red.

He lifted his shocked eyes towards Kagome just in time to see her charging him, her foot projected to slam into his face. With grim satisfaction he saw that she'd unleashed her weapons. The sharp points of her ashiko were dangerously close to redesigning his face before he silkily turned away onto his stomach, jumped up, and grasped her foot.

She lurched forward and landed awkwardly on her free foot. He stared at her dangerously calm for a moment before lifting her up and throwing her hard back towards the wall. She slammed against it and released a tiny cry of pain.

"Don't do this…" he heard Kagome say again.

Inuyasha slunk up to her and grasped the material over her chest. Heaving her up by the uniform's material, he left Kagome dangling. She kicked her legs fruitlessly in an attempt to free herself. Her hands lifted to grasp his forearms but he wasn't rewarded with a priestess blast.

"I can do whatever I damn well please," he hissed out, his eyes narrowing. "And you can't do anything to stop me… Kagome."

Kagome suddenly stilled and tried to rear back in shock. His firm hold on her prevented any retreat away from the hanyou. Her mouth fell open.

"You… You…" she breathed out slowly. "You know who I am?"

Inuyasha nodded gravely. "Kagome Higurashi, a powerful miko. You may prove to be quite useful to… Naraku-sama." He struggled to bite out the man's name and even more so to add the honorific at the end. "I know all there is to know about you."

"But…" she gasped out. Her legs kicked out again. "I don't know who you are…"

Inuyasha smirked wickedly. "A grave mistake on your part, I'll assure you."

With that, he launched her forward, causing her to skid and slide across the pavement before slamming into a dumpster a ways down an alley. She struggled to stand, her legs a wobbling mass of jello. She grasped the edge of the dumpster.

She struggled to move forward, inching her way back towards him. Her hand remained on the wall. She moved over to him and he waited for her. She was struggling, limping. She couldn't fight anymore. She closed her eyes bitterly for a moment, collecting her emotions.

Slowly, she lifted a hand towards him, but he flinched away. She paused in her pursuit before ceasing it, returning her hand to her side.

"Kill me then," she whispered.

"You are no use to Naraku-sama dead," Inuyasha said offhandedly.

She lifted her head up towards him and slowly removed her goggles. Inuyasha had almost forgotten how beautiful Kagome's eyes were. They were windows into all of her emotions. And at that moment, he'd never seen a more heart breaking image.

Kagome's oceanic eyes stared up at him hopelessly, the depths sparkling with forming tears and her emotions. She bit her lip, staring at him with her wide cerulean eyes.

"I know you… Sha…" Kagome murmured, her blue eyes wavering. Her woebegone look was torturing him slowly inside, but he forced himself to remain objective. He would not allow Kagome to see the pain this was causing him, too.

"I know that you wouldn't do this to me…" she finished slowly, then sunk to her knees, staring up at him hopelessly. "I know that you're good. I know that you're not evil."

He stood there. He felt like he'd just entered a dream. Kagome, weak and defenseless, was staring up at him serenely. She didn't move to defend herself as he stood over her.

"_Kill her,_" the voice hissed in his ear.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. Wherever Naraku was, he prayed that he couldn't see Kagome's face.

He took a step away from her and she gazed up at him questioningly. He ignored Naraku's urges of her disposal. He'd promised that Kagome would not get hurt. He would not allow Kagome to be killed. He wouldn't. He would protect her.

He longed to reach for her, to tell her that everything was okay. He wished that he could tell her what was happening, but knew that Naraku would not let her live if he betrayed the dark man.

"Sha…" she murmured, her voice breezing past his ear. It was too much for him to handle. He wanted to hold her, to reassure her that he did not want to hurt her. "I know that you are good."

"You don't know anything. I'm a demon. I want to kill you," he snapped out angrily, trying to break the girl's spirit. He couldn't allow her to sympathize with him. She had to hate him. God, why couldn't she just hate him?

"Then why don't you?"

"I already told you. Naraku-sama wants you alive."

"I don't believe you," she said simply, her blue eyes watering. "Why can't you trust me?"

"I trust no one," he shot back and watched as Kagome flinched, her blue eyes flickering away.

"_Kill her,"_ Naraku's voice hissed.

He stared down at her, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Kagome's broken face. She bowed her head, exposing her neck to his scrutiny. At that very moment, had he wanted to, he could kill her with a simple swipe of his claws, just as he had with the kitsune.

She trembled, her knuckles bone white as she clenched her fists. Wisps of her ebony hair swayed in the night breeze. Inuyasha bit his lip. He couldn't hit her… not when she was defenseless like this.

"_Kill her!"_

"I won't," Inuyasha gritted out. Naraku repeated his instruction. Inuyasha ignored Kagome's curious gaze. "_I won't!_"

With those words echoing down the empty alleyway, Inuyasha leapt to the sky, running away from Kagome. He felt her eyes burning into his back far longer than necessary. He didn't stop running until there was a safe distance between them.

Kagome watched where Inuyasha's shadow disappeared into the night. She stayed sitting, her body slumped and weakened. Beside her, the dead kitsune remained. Sha had killed the young fox and she'd come to stop the murderer. She hadn't realized that tonight she'd be facing the man she'd come to trust with her life.

'_That wasn't Sha. It had to have been a shape shifter. That's got to be it. Sha wouldn't do this to me… to us.'_ Kagome's mind was convinced. Whatever that had been, it hadn't been her partner.

She had faith in Sha and until she found her real partner, that's all she had.


	15. Chapter 15

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Fifteen**

* * *

"I thought you were smarter than this," Naraku said with mock disappointment lacing his voice. He stared at Inuyasha for a long moment before smirking to himself and occupying himself with staring out the window. "But it seems that you've purposefully gone against my orders, yes?"

"You said you wouldn't hurt her. I don't see how you ordering me to kill her will keep her unharmed, wouldn't you say?" Inuyasha steamed out, crossing his arms and staring darkly at the man's back. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as Naraku slowly turned around to look at him.

One elegant eyebrow arched upwards and he chuckled mirthlessly. "But I don't remember telling you it was okay to run away, now did I?"

"How can she be unharmed if you're ordering me to kill her?" Inuyasha snarled angrily.

Naraku chuckled. "I was testing you, stupid hanyou. I expected your refusal of such an order… but I never said you could leave _voluntarily_."

Inuyasha's hands dropped to his sides, balling into fists. He dared to take a step towards Naraku. The man didn't seem intimidated by Inuyasha's fierce anger. Instead, he merely raised his eyebrows again and chuckled ominously.

"I suppose I should bring you to see what happens when you disobey me," he mused to himself as he turned towards the door. Throwing it open, he beckoned in two tall demons of unknown breed. They slunk into the room, hunched and slouching.

"What are you doing?" Inuyasha demanded.

Naraku ignored him and focused his attention on the two demons. They stood, staring at Naraku expectantly, not saying a word.

"Hiten, Manten," Naraku addressed the two demons.

The taller of the two demons, the one who looked most human, bowed his head slightly as the other, fat one following suit. "Yes, sir?"

"I have assigned you two the task of finding Kagome Higurashi." The man nodded his head in understanding of his master's orders. Naraku turned to look at Inuyasha, though he still addressed the demons. "Do not kill her… but make her feel the repercussions of Inuyasha's mistake."

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he lurched forward. "You can't!"

"I can," Naraku dismissed his repugnant disapproval with a wave of his hand. He snorted. "As if you can give me orders, hanyou."

"No…!" Inuyasha growled out, his fists clenching. "You can't hurt her."

Naraku turned back to Hiten and Manten. "Bring him with you. I want him to see her suffer."

"Yes, sir," the two demons said at once.

Inuyasha, to his credit, struggled as best he could against Hiten and Manten, but the two demons proved to be too much for him. Once they'd constrained him and carried him off, he'd resolved to simply kick at their shins and bite at their fingers should they get to close to his bounded body.

Struggling all the way, Inuyasha soon saw the familiar home of Kagome Higurashi. The Sunset Shrine was true to its name. The sun was just setting beyond in the horizon and undoubtedly the Higurashi household was settling down for the nighttime routine. Dinner would have been eaten already and Kagome was probably up in her room.

Inuyasha swallowed and tried to break free again, but he was incapable. All he would be able to do would be to sit back and watch Hiten and Manten fight against Kagome. Would the girl be okay in the end? Kagome was capable of fighting, he knew that, but this was a surprise attack in its worst. Two against one…

He found himself forced into the branches of the Goshinboku. He was slammed against the trunk before the two demons stepped away from him.

"Don't move," Hiten ordered. "If you do anything… Naraku-sama will not be happy."

Manten sneered easily at Inuyasha. "And don't you dare turn away either. You're supposed to see her. See what happens when you disobey our leader."

With that, the two demon brothers leapt from the boughs of the God Tree and onto the ledge of Kagome's window. With a nimble flick of his foot, Hiten kicked the window's glass, shattering it. He reached in, unlocked the window, and stepped in nimbly with Manten following behind him.

Inuyasha sat, petrified, on the tree branch. He knew that he should be doing something to stop them, but at the same time he knew that if he did, he could kiss Kagome's life behind. There had to be something that he could do… but what?

His eyes traveled around, searching for something inconspicuous he could throw at the downstairs window. Snapping off a dying twig he threw it towards the window before being rewarded with a satisfying slap of the wood against the glass.

Moments later, the window opened and Souta stuck his head out the window, searching around for the source of the disturbance. He searched around, but his untrained human eyes couldn't see the dark figure in the tree above him.

"I don't see anything," Souta called over his shoulder.

Kagome's voice filtered through the window, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it must have been a bird or something," Souta decided. Inuyasha paled. This wasn't working. Kagome would go upstairs and be ambushed by two demons, unless he got her on alert. If she thought it was simply a misguided bird hitting the window, then she was done for.

He growled loudly and Souta snapped his head up, his brown eyes wide in surprise and fear.

He slowly moved his head inwards and slammed the window shut. Perfect. Kagome would be on guard now.

"What are you doing?" a voice snapped out. Inuyasha jerked his head upwards to stare at Hiten, who was glaring at him through Kagome's broken window.

"Sitting," Inuyasha snorted.

Hiten narrowed his red eyes but withdrew his head back into Kagome's room, preparing for the miko's arrival.

Sure enough, not ten minutes later, Kagome's door crept open and she poked her head in. She was nearly blasted away by a shock of lightening from Manten's open mouth and she leapt back with a yelp.

Her eyes were wide, from what Inuyasha could see through the window. _'Be careful, Kagome._'

"Who are you?" Kagome demanded, her blue eyes darting between Hiten and Manten. She shifted nervously, inching towards the door again. Another blast from Manten's mouth stilled her hesitant retreat.

"We are the Thunder Brothers," Hiten said casually, as if they were discussing the weather over some well-deserved tea. Kagome swallowed and her eyes darted to her broken window and back to her door, calculating her best method of escape. "We were sent by Naraku to kill you."

"Kill… me?" Kagome whispered, inching backwards.

Her eyes swept over the two brothers. "But why?"

"Enough talk," Hiten decided and leapt towards Kagome.

Kagome wasn't able to defend herself. In a flash, quicker than lightening it seemed, Kagome was on the ground, knocked down by Hiten's high kick. She released a tiny gasp and cringed as Hiten sent an electrical shock coursing through her body.

She was pinned to the ground as Hiten blasted her with the flow of electrical currents. She gritted her teeth and struggled to break free from the slow, agonizing torture.

She inched her hand out, grasping the man's ankle. Either Hiten didn't notice or he didn't think her grasp a danger. Within moments, however, he felt a tingling running up his leg and glanced down. Kagome's hand was glowing pink and as he drew his attention to her appendage, she sent an excruciating blast through his body, purifying him.

The electrical shocks were gone from her body and Kagome leapt to her feet, crouching and glaring between the two Thunder Brothers.

"Don't come near me," Kagome murmured, creeping along the wall, trying to stay away from the two brothers yet close enough to throw out an attack should the need arise.

From the branch outside, Inuyasha watched in morbid fascination.

"Seems we've underestimated you, priestess," Hiten barked angrily and sent a small ball of light towards her. Kagome ducked just in time to see the energy blast burn her wall.

She strode towards Hiten, locking eyes with him. This proved to be a mistake as Manten slunk his way behind Kagome and clapped the back of her neck, sending her sprawling to the ground. Instantly, the electrical shocks were back, stronger than before.

She bit back a scream of pain, muffled by Hiten and Manten's hideous laughter as they blasted her with their powers.

Tears sprung to Kagome's eyes as she tried to bite back the pain. It was becoming too intense. She felt her flesh crawling and her blood surging through her body. She wanted the pain to end but she fought against falling into tranquil exhaustion. If she were to fall asleep now, Kagome was positive that she would never wake up.

She struggled against the pain, clenching to the ground and screaming into her soft, plush carpet. Black hair tumbled over her eyes, shielding her face as she wept from the pain.

"Not strong enough, brother?" Hiten asked and Manten nodded gleefully.

A large blast hit Kagome's back and she nearly passed out.

Inuyasha couldn't stand to sit there any longer. He stood up, against the small part of his mind that screamed that he needed to protect Kagome. He leapt the short distance from the tree branch to Kagome's window.

"That's enough," he commanded, standing up as tall as possibly. He towered over Manten and met Hiten squarely in the eye. The two brothers paused to glare at him. "She's beaten. Leave her."

Hiten released his hold on his elemental power and the electrical shock was once again gone from Kagome's body.

"Why should I listen to you?" Hiten asked nonchalantly.

Inuyasha clenched his fist and growled darkly at Hiten and Manten. The Thunder Brothers were taken aback by the man's abrupt behavior. He glared darkly at them, and they could almost see the twinge of red in the man's eyes.

Kagome twitched on the ground, her black hair covering her teary blue eyes. She struggled to lift her head before it plunked to the ground. Inuyasha clenched his fists. Someday he would make Hiten and Manten pay for what they did to Kagome.

"I told you to stay in the tree," Hiten snarled.

"Naraku told you to just make me pay, not to kill her. She's no use to him dead," he struggled to say the last bit. He swallowed the lump that had lodged in his throat and stared sadly down at the collapsed girl. "We're done here. Let's go."

"How dare you boss us around hanyou," Manten snarled but a wave of his brother's hand silenced him.

"No, he's right… we best be leaving before her family gets up here," Hiten eyed the door. "Let's go."

They moved towards the window but Inuyasha was still captivated by Kagome's fallen form. Slowly, he knelt and touched her shoulder.

"Kagome…" he murmured.

She struggled again and lifted her head, blue eyes staring up at him. The unfocused orbs stared at him blankly for a moment before she whimpered.

"I'm so sorry, Kagome," he murmured, his golden eyes saddening.

He took a step back and she reached out a hand towards him. "Sha…"

He took a step backwards and ran to the window, leaping through it, and leaving Kagome alone in her room.

* * *

Kagome awoke silently, her blue orbs opening and staring up at the sterile ceiling. She blinked a couple of times to clear the blurry visions in her head. She sat up, her body struggling to remain upright.

"You're awake," a voice said beside her. Kagome tilted her head and saw Sango in a sterile white bed beside her. Kagome started and stared around her in shock. "We're in the hospital ward of HQ," Sango explained gently. "I'm glad to see you awake."

"How did I get here?" Kagome questioned, trying to remember the events that had sent her into the hospital. Her mind was fuzzy, though.

"HQ intersected your family's call to the hospital and we sent some agents to pose as ambulance drivers to bring you here," Sango explained, eyeing her cousin tenderly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a truck and then a car," Kagome groaned and rubbed her head, which was wrapped up tightly. She cursed quietly under her breath as a surge of pain rushed through her body.

"Demons would be more accurate, I'd wager," Sango said with a frown. "Do you remember what happened at all?"

Kagome struggled to recall the events that had caused her predicament. "Two demons ambushed me in my room."

Sango frowned deeply. "Naraku."

"Yes," Kagome agreed. "They called themselves the Thunder Brothers."

Sango looked surprised. "They're infamous for their brutality towards humans. It's amazing that you're alive, Kagome." Sango furrowed her brows.

"Sha stopped them," Kagome said with a curt nod. "I saw him."

Sango looked skeptical. "Kagome… I hate to tell you this, but… Sha has been working with Naraku." Sango paused and stared at her white bed sheets as if they were the most exciting things in the world. She didn't speak for a long moment before she lifted her head. "He's been passing information on to Naraku ever since he joined the team."

"What are you talking about?" Kagome looked scandalized.

"Just think about it, Kagome. Naraku has always been one step ahead of us. How do you suppose he's managed to do this?" Sango looked furious, or perhaps just determined to make Kagome see reason. "He's been getting insider info, and it was Sha supplying it to him."

"But Sango," Kagome argued, her eyes narrowing. "Naraku's been ahead us _before_ Sha joined the taijiya. He can't possibly be the one behind it."

The door creaked open and Kagome snapped her head up, as if expecting to see the double-agent enter through the door dramatically.

Instead, she was greeted with the sight of Miroku. He entered slowly, clipboard in hand and reading glasses perched on the tip of his button nose.

"Ah, Kagome," Miroku smiled warmly, "You're awake. I'm pleased to see it."

"Hello, Miroku," Kagome greeted and instantly returned to Sango. "I know that Sha would never betray us. I just know he wouldn't."

Sango sighed and glanced at Miroku, who nodded. "Kagome…" she started slowly. "Do you know why I was put in this ward?"

"We found you in an alleyway, knocked out and terribly wounded. Another attack by Naraku," Kagome said offhandedly, remembering the horrifying experience of seeing her cousin, a very capable and experienced fighter, carried into headquarters completely brutalized. Kagome didn't like where this was heading. "Why?"

"It was an attack planned by Naraku," Sango said, her eyes lowering. "I'd been sent to that quarter of Tokyo to investigate the strange disappearances… It was another boring checkpoint that led to nothing but dead ends. But then I was attacked."

Sango clenched her fists and stared at Kagome for a long moment, who returned her gaze steadily.

"Sha attacked me," Sango said at last. Kagome looked like she'd just been slapped.

"It can't be true," Kagome said instantly, her eyes narrowing in determination. "Sha would never do that…"

"We don't even know him. We don't know how his mind works," Sango murmured, trying to soothe Kagome's ruffled feathers. "He's been working for Naraku for all this time, Kagome, it's the only explanation."

"Sha wouldn't do that," Kagome said again, stubbornly. "It must have been a shape shifter. We know that Naraku is a shape shifter."

"Kagome," Miroku interjected. "If that's the case, then were his the real Sha?"

"Captured?" Kagome guessed.

Sango shook her head again, giving her cousin a look that clearly stated that Kagome was being ridiculous. Perhaps the young miko knew this as well.

"You can sense his aura. I know you can. You'd know if it were Sha or not," Sango whispered, looking defeated.

Kagome sighed. "Mind control?"

Miroku shook his head. "You'd be able to sense that, too, Kagome. If there were any abnormalities to Sha's behavior, you'd detect it immediately. But there wasn't anything, was there?"

Kagome shook her head. "I don't remember. But I know that Sha wouldn't betray us."

"You have such faith in him," Sango sighed and shook her head, glancing at Miroku with a rather sad expression.

"I wish that I were as optimistic as you are, Kagome. But," Sango sighed again, her breath feathery and breathless as she struggled to breathe against the bindings that were wrapped around her body. "I'm afraid that your optimism is a bit naïve."

"You'll see… I'll bring Sha back," Kagome whispered, determination written clearly on her saddened face.

* * *

Inuyasha turned his situation over in his mind for the umpteenth time that day. He'd had more than enough opportunities to tell Kagome what was happening. But he couldn't risk her getting hurt by Naraku.

Naraku had eyes. He knew this for a fact. He seemed to know everything before anyone else did. His glowing red eyes had the habit of staring at someone as if he were looking deeply into the soul. It was an eerie feeling and it left Inuyasha feeling cold and raw under the man's dark gaze.

'_What am I going to do?'_ Inuyasha thought sadly as he stared at his clenched hands. He had no way of knowing whether Kagome was safe or not and he prayed that she was being taken care of, as well as Sango.

His communicator was destroyed by Naraku and that was his only possibility for contacting Kagome. Now, he was simply a fly caught in a spider's master web. But there had to be a loose strand somewhere. There had to be someway that he could work his way out of the spider's lair.

He kicked his foot out and watched as small clouds of dust rose in the air, curving and twisting in the stale air.

'_I wish I could just tell her. But if Naraku found out, Kagome and Mom are as good as dead.'_ A thought seemed to strike him and he sat up boldly. _'Mom!'_

He was on his feet instantly and darting down the dank hallways, searching for Naraku. He found him in his office, watching the wall as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. Inuyasha hadn't bothered knocking but the Ring Leader seemed unfazed with Inuyasha's presence.

"Ah, half-breed," Naraku said silkily. "What can I do for you?"

"I want to see my mother," Inuyasha said curtly, staring down at Naraku, who continued to sit leisurely. He tapped his fingers together and his eyebrows arched elegantly.

"Your mother?" he asked and Inuyasha nodded again. "Why?"

"To make sure she's still alive. You promised me that she wouldn't be hurt." Inuyasha slammed his fist down on the desk and he felt the wood groan under the unnecessary pressure. "Where is she?"

"So impatient," Naraku said icily, eyeing Inuyasha like a rotten piece of meat. He stood silkily and swept past the irate hanyou. "This way."

Inuyasha followed after him, snarling as he moved. Naraku paid him no mind and led him through a maze of hallways, tapping his lips in thought.

"Ah yes, of course," he said after some time. He stopped at a door and tapped the wooden frame. "She's in here. Safe and… sound."

Inuyasha didn't like the way Naraku said that. He slammed the door open and marched in. It was dark and even his demonic eyes took a moment to adjust to the inky darkness that covered the room in its peculiar pall.

Naraku entered after him and slammed the door shut. Instantly, Inuyasha heard a petrified scream rip its way through the tranquil silence. Inuyasha cringed at the bone chilling shriek that pierced the very core of his being. The inhumane scream was followed by countless more, all melting into one, disgusting shriek that reminded him of fingernails on a chalk board.

His ears flattened against his head as the lights flickered on. He was in a room with countless amounts of cages. His eyes swept over it, shocked and horrified at what he saw.

Humans thrashed on the inside of the cages, their faces contorted in animalistic expressions, snarling and ripping at the bars, trying to pry themselves free. They thumped and thundered across their cage, bouncing against the metal bars like it was rubber.

Their eyes were red, wide, and frightened. They paced and snarled at him as he passed. Inuyasha was nearly frantic with worry as he searched for the one familiar face. As he passed, he recognized all the humans that'd been abducted by Naraku's minions, and even a couple he'd abducted himself.

Suddenly, he saw his mother's face. It, too, was rippled in animalistic expressions, her face contorted in a shriek as she snarled and ripped at her bar.

There was a shocked silence that followed as Inuyasha watched his mother, eyes red and pointed fingernails shooting out towards him, trying to catch his arm and draw blood. She snarled and screamed her inhumane wail and Inuyasha cringed, covering his twitching dog ears.

It took a moment for him to settle in and he whipped his head towards Naraku. "What did you do to her?" he hissed out, his eyes wide with disbelieving fright. Naraku didn't answer. "_What did you do to her?_"

Naraku walked silkily towards the screaming Izayoi and chuckled darkly. "It's you, Inuyasha that we have to thank for. For this breakthrough in," he chortled again, "Human-demon relations."

"_What did you do to her?_" Inuyasha cursed loudly, causing an avalanche of demonic shrieks.

"Well you see, my pathetic little hanyou," Naraku spoke silkily. "For some time I've been searching for a way to make my own, obedient army. One that I could create without having to hunt down troublesome demons and convince them to join me."

He ran his hand over the cool metal of the cage. He ignored the demonic Izayoi's attempts to claw his hand away.

Inuyasha didn't speak, just continued to stare at him in horror.

"Your mother was the first successful test in my hybrid project," Naraku laughed icily. He stared at Izayoi in a sick fondness that reminded Inuyasha of nothing he'd ever seen before. He wanted nothing more than to rip Naraku's eyes from their sockets. "By adding your blood to the human's, I've created the first ever artificial hanyou. Unfortunately, your blood causes them to lose control of all reason and sense. But soon… I'll have my own army for my own personal control. And it's all thanks to you, Inuyasha. Congratulations."

"Why my blood?" Inuyasha whispered, shaking from the disgusting truth of Naraku's words.

"I needed a hanyou's blood. Your human blood tethered the demonic blood to theirs. With a demon's blood, the human would simply die from the harsh blood. After all, demons and humans are different species…" Naraku laughed mirthlessly. "I was going to use my own blood but…"

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "You're a…"

"Hanyou?" Naraku snapped out, his nonchalant expression melting away into one of disgusted irritation. "Yes, I am a disgusting sin-against-God like you."

"I'm nothing like you," Inuyasha hissed.

"I was going to use my own superior blood," Naraku continued, ignoring Inuyasha's snide remark. "But then I thought… why not use Inuyasha's. Use the worthless hanyou's blood and give him the pleasure of knowing that it is all his fault."

He turned to Inuyasha and smirked wickedly. "This is your entire fault, Inuyasha. I thank you for the blood you gave me."

Inuyasha stared numbly at his still mother, her red eyes staring at him sharply. He stared long after Naraku had left the room, leaving him alone in the dank room filled with inhuman cries for help.

* * *

He crouched once again in Goshinboku and watched Kagome through her window. The slight golden warmth that danced across his face from the window caused his golden eyes to glow like two beacons in the otherwise darkening dusk. The sun would set sooner or later. Kagome hadn't looked up from her desk, however. She was busy working on something, probably for school.

He longed to stay in this tree forever with Kagome, but he wasn't here by choice. Not two hours ago Naraku had ordered him to attack Kamen at her home.

For one brief, horrifying moment Inuyasha was positive that Naraku knew that Kagome and Kamen were the same person. But his distress had been eased, only somewhat, when Naraku had stated that he'd need to attack Kamen at her home.

"_Use any means necessary to find her home,"_ Naraku had told him, his red eyes narrowed as he observed the hanyou, _"Catch her off guard."_

'_I'll go easy on her,'_ he told himself. _'And tell Naraku that Kamen is stronger than I am. That way I won't have to hurt her.'_

He crept closer to Kagome's window. The girl didn't look up. Had she sensed his aura yet?

He reached out towards her but quickly recoiled. He couldn't sense her distress, either from her work or from the situation she'd been submerged into, but he knew that it had to be there. He felt guilt rush over him but quickly shooed it aside in his attempts to remain objective to his mission.

He felt blunted tonight. Everything was dull for him. It seemed as if he'd been submerged into murky water, dulling all his senses.

It had been a couple days since he'd seen his mother again. Her horrifying sight still plagued his mind. But it had determined him even more to save her. He would stop at nothing until Naraku was dead and his mother and Kagome were safe. He knew that HQ would have some way to save all the humans who'd been kidnapped and his mother from the fate Naraku was subjecting them to.

Without further delay, Inuyasha jumped from the tree and kicked her window, knocking the glass inwards. Kagome was alone tonight, he'd made sure. Nothing would interrupt him.

Kagome was on her feet instantly, visibly shaking. Was she afraid of the Thunder Brother's returning? They'd hurt her terribly, he knew. But he also knew that she was strong.

She observed him for a long moment, her blue eyes wide.

"I was wondering when you'd come in," she whispered. So she had sensed his aura? "You were here the other night, too, weren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Inuyasha lied. She couldn't know that.

Kagome persisted. "You were here with the… Thunder Brothers. You told them to stop. I saw you."

"You must have been delusional." Inuyasha forced himself to keep from running towards her and wrapping his arms around her. The wind from outside fluttered the curtains and his hair, pulled into a low ponytail. His shadow stretched across the room, touching Kagome's feet.

He felt her aura touch his and he nearly fell over in his efforts to run away from her. He didn't want her to feel his aura, to feel his feelings. He thought about Naraku, forcing his mind to dwell on his hatred and his contempt for the other hanyou.

Her aura wrapped around his before quickly retracting. Kagome stood silently and took a small step back. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the sad look on her face. Had she really been expecting something other than anger? Probably. He felt his heart plummet down his chest.

"There are no abnormalities," Kagome said sadly and inhaled deeply.

"What are you yappin' about now?" Inuyasha asked, frowning at her words.

"No mind-control in your system, and that's certainly your aura, not Naraku's." It seemed as if Kagome were talking to herself and not to him. It was almost as if he'd melted away from the room.

"What? You didn't think I'd willingly join Naraku?" Inuyasha asked, and forced a laugh.

Kagome's crushed expression answered him.

Silence passed between them and Inuyasha tried to still his racing heart. He knew that it would be hard, but he never imagined that it could feel like this. He found himself taking in her form. She looked defeated… but the glimmer in her eyes proved her determination.

Then he saw Kagome's hands tighten into fists. She lifted her head defiantly, standing up taller than before. It was almost as if all her emotions weighing her down had simply melted away, leaving only anger behind. Her blue eyes crackled with her anger as she stared at him.

"I wanted to think that you weren't truly doing this, Sha," Kagome whispered, feeling her anger surge through her. She wanted to believe that Sha was good, but even Sha seemed to be in disagreement with her faith in him.

"Sorry to crush your dreams, then," Inuyasha said with a tiny laugh. He felt his heart crack as the bitter noise left his mouth.

"I'll make you pay for what you've done. I won't allow you to win," she warned, walking slowly towards him. He circled her, their eyes locking and never leaving. "I won't go easy on you."

"Right back at you," he said and bit his tongue. He knew he couldn't truly hurt Kagome. But the anger he saw in her eyes suggested that she wouldn't do the same for him.

Simultaneously, the two launched towards one another.

Her punch flew at him quickly, catching the side of his face while her foot arched and landed in his side. He felt a small gasp of pain rush from his lips as his own fist collided with her chest, knocking her backwards.

He knelt in pain, touching his ribs and cringing when a jolt of pain shot through him. Kagome moved back towards him, making sure to keep her distance from him. As she approached he saw her torn expression. Tears were fighting against the inside of her eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Are you okay—" Kagome never managed to finish her sentence.

Inuyasha shot his hand out and grasped her ankle, throwing her down onto the ground. Her back collided with her carpet and she gasped in surprise. Inuyasha rolled onto his hands and knees before leaping up towards her, pressing his foot against her neck. He didn't press too hard, but enough for her to feel the pressure.

She choked for a moment before she grasped his shin and sent a jolt through him that felt more like an electrical shock than purifying energy. He hissed in pain and jumped away, allowing Kagome to stand back up again. A small coil of smoke rose from his shin, where her purifying energy had burned a hole in his shin guard and taijiya uniform.

Their eyes locked again, sad blue-grey eyes melting with golden orbs. She seemed to be searching for something in his eyes. Apparently, she didn't find it because she broke the gaze and stared off to her side.

She crouched, her hands still balled into fists again. She frowned at him, her blue eyes glaring at him angrily. He met her gaze once again, daring her to make a move towards him.

"How dare you use us?" she hissed out in agony, running towards him and sending a punch towards his face, which he liquidly dodged. "We trusted you… I trusted you!"

"I'm sure you've learned a valuable lesson, then," he returned silkily, ducking when she tried to punch him again. "Foolish girl."

She stiffened, allowing Inuyasha to kick her side, sending her toppling onto her floor again. Had he been trying to defeat her, he would have launched on top of her and continued his assault, but instead he stood, hands on hips and eyeing her like a mother would her small child.

Kagome was on her feet almost instantly, crouched and breathing heavily, trying to haul in her catapulting emotions.

He arched his back, looking more like a cat than the dog that he was. He growled slightly, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as she sent him another penetrating stare. He felt exposed under her gaze and he did not like it in the least.

She rolled smoothly onto her stomach, inching under her bed and extracting her taijiya uniform. He watched her in shock as she easily opened a compartment in her shoulder bad and extracted a long, thin string of piano wire attached to a tiny ring. Had he not been concerned with his safety, he would have been happy to see that Kagome hid her uniform under her bed, too.

But, alas, he was far more concerned about his life. In that moment, Kagome launched at him, her kakute poised to wrap around his neck. He dodged, sweeping his foot out and catching her ankles. She toppled slightly but regained her balance just in time to see Inuyasha bound away to the other side of the room.

"Weapons, Kagome? Do you truly want to kill me?" Inuyasha questioned, arching one of his dark eyebrows.

"It's not dipped in poison," Kagome reassured him. Still, the girl was coming at him with a piano wire. That was not something Inuyasha could sit back and willingly take.

He swallowed and dodged again, ducking between Kagome's legs and darting away. He heard her mutter in frustration at his slippery ability to jump away from her.

After what seemed like an eternity trying to escape, Inuyasha felt the wire wrap around his neck, holding him hostage against her shivering body.

"Now then," Kagome murmured quietly, "now that I have you, I won't be letting you go."

She squeezed and he felt his windpipe close. He choked, trying to grasp the elusive wire. The piano wire was hard to grasp, especially when it was wrapped around a neck.

Her hold on him relaxed a bit and he gulped down a large lungful of air.

"Can't… breathe…" he lied. It worked; Kagome's hold slacked even more.

Instantly, he'd whipped around, yanking the kakute away from his neck. He shoved her against the wall, pinning her shoulder with his hand. In a steady swipe of his hand, he'd grabbed a dagger from his sash and poised it over her own neck.

His triumph was interrupted, however, when he felt a similar point pressing against his Adam's apple. Kagome's own dagger was dangerously close to his neck, the tip poking against his tanned skin.

They stood in that stalemate for what seemed like an eternity. Kagome's scent wafted by his nose and he swallowed the lump in his throat, causing Kagome's dagger to pierce the first layer of his epidermis.

"Was everything a lie to you, Sha?" she asked, her blue eyes locking with his as their daggers came dangerously close to drawing blood.

Inuyasha paused. Now would be the time to tell her that he was being blackmailed. Naraku wasn't around. No one was around but them. But he couldn't. He mentally shook his head. He couldn't involve Kagome. This was his battle. He would not give Naraku the leverage over him _and_ Kagome.

"Yes."

A tear escaped her eye and she blinked a couple of times to shoo such a troublesome emotion away. She licked her dry lips and leaned forward a bit. He tensed, his dagger moving closer to her throat.

Instead of a deadly head-butt, which Inuyasha had been half-expecting; Kagome brushed her lips against his before pulling away. She stared at him pleadingly.

That simple ghost of a kiss managed to steal his entire breath away. He'd been plunged into an eerie world without any senses. Kagome had stolen his soul with that simple, light brush of lips against lips.

But he had to protect her.

"Heh."

She stared at him in horror at the emotionless half-chuckle. Inuyasha pushed against her, flattening her against the wall.

"You're nothing," he murmured in her ear, his lips breezing over her jaw line. He heard a dagger thump to her floor and the felt the pressure of metal against his skin disappear.

"Sha…"

He backed away. "Nothing."

That single word seemed to seal the deal for Kagome. She bit back a sob as she dove forward, her left leg poised to kick out at him. Inuyasha was ready for her. He prepared himself to grasp her leg and throw her. He'd knock her out and leave. For now, Naraku would be satisfied.

But instead of his left leg, Kagome switched positions, sending a high right kick towards his head. He gasped in surprise and pain as her foot collided with his skull, knocking him to the ground with a rather showy looking spin. He landed with a groan and his body screamed at him to get up.

She grasped his shirt collar and forced him up. Still slightly dizzy from her powerful kick, Inuyasha barely remembered to struggle. She pushed him against the wall and sent a shattering punch to his cheek. He cringed in pain and tried to push her away.

After successfully dislodging her, he growled out darkly. But Kagome remained undaunted.

She ran around him, sending kicks and punches every which way. After what seemed like an eternity, Inuyasha finally fell to his knees, grasping the plush carpet and gasping for air. A kick, strategically landed on his solar plexus, left him winded and weak. Kagome soared over him and landed a flying kick on his chest again, knocking him backwards.

He struggled to breathe and golden eyes stared out the window, watching as the sun came dangerously close to setting.

She moved over him, planting her hands against his chest. He grasped her wrists, trying to move them. Her warm hands glowed a faint pink, surging with her miko energy. He felt his body numb and tingle as her priestess powers flowed through him like a warm current before he felt a painful burning in his chest.

He hissed in pain, resisting the urge to dig his claws into her wrists and send her flying. A tear splashed on his cheek and he glanced up at Kagome's face, poised just above his.

"I wish that…" she choked on a sob, never finishing what she was going to say.

He struggled to move but Kagome stopped any movement he may have made with the gentle press of her dagger against his throat again. The long blade ran dangerously close to the pink mark her piano string had left.

"I'll kill you… I will…" she wept out, clenching her eyes shut. "Because I know that Naraku will kill you first for failing your mission. I'll… if you want me to… please… Sha."

He stared up at her weeping expression, her face contorted in her pain. It wasn't a very flattering expression on Kagome's face, but the girl was far beyond caring what she looked like. She straddled his hips, pressing the dagger closer to his throat, just beneath his chin. One simple movement would cut him.

"Kagome…"

He felt a sudden pain shoot through him, but he knew that it wasn't because Kagome had hurt him. He knew that, in the end, Kagome would never be able to kill him, even if he asked her to.

No, the pain shooting through his body was more numbing than anything else.

As darkness fell over the night sky, dotted with stars, Inuyasha remembered why he'd wanted to stay at home tonight. The moon was conspicuous only in its absence.

But he couldn't escape now. He felt his golden eyes close as they melted away into a deep, gorgeous violet.

The sun set behind the forest, shrouding his world in darkness.


	16. Chapter 16

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Sixteen**

* * *

Darkness slipped into her room. She stood numbly, the stillness of her room an almost eerie juxtaposition of the furious battle that had just come to a crashing halt.

Her anxiety seemed to fill her room in every nook and cranny as she watched Sha's form crash to the ground, his eyes falling shut slowly. The silence was broken only when punctuated by her deep, heavy breathing.

She dashed forward and knelt beside Sha, her fingers reaching out and brushing over the black hair in disbelief.

"Inu… yasha?" she murmured before her eyes widened. Apparently, Inuyasha hadn't been too original with his alias.

"Sha…" she murmured out, tears pooling in her eyes before spilling down her cheeks in disbelief. "Inuyasha!"

The ebony locks that spilled over her carpet were most certainly Inuyasha's. His demonic features had retracted, leaving a simple human boy in their wake.

'_How could I have been so stupid to not have noticed this?'_ She mentally kicked herself. _'How could I have missed how much Sha and Inuyasha looked alike? I should have known that they were one in the same.'_ Kagome frowned at her own stupidity. _'Stupid.'_

Now that she gazed down at the unconscious Inuyasha, she wondered how it was that she'd never been able to see that the curve of Inuyasha's face was uniquely Inuyasha; the way his eyebrows knotted together when he was frustrated, the way his lower lip jutted out when he was in deep thought, and how passionate his eyes were. How could she have not realized that she was always gazing at the same man?

He shifted as Kagome moved him towards her bed, half carrying, half dragging him onto her mattress. He sunk down into the warm down of her comforter and she rested against the wall, gazing at his sleeping form.

He looked so innocent, lying there on her bed, his breaths breezing small wisps of his black hair. Her eyes softened as she gazed at him.

'_Now's my chance,'_ she thought sadly. _'I can turn him in to Sango and lock him away. He's dangerous if he's left to run free. I need to get him to HQ.'_

But staring at the boyish face, face lax with his comatose state, Kagome couldn't bring herself to believe that he was capable of evil-doing. It had to have been all some big misunderstanding. She knew, deep inside of her, that Inuyasha would never do this to her.

A stray tear escaped her eye as she clenched them shut, willing her tsunami of emotions down. She placed a hand over her heart, feeling it clench beneath her skin. Why did it have to hurt this much?

'_Why are you betraying me?'_ she wondered sadly, her blue eyes misting over and a small tear dropping onto his paled cheek. _'Why are you doing this?' _

She contented herself with watching over Inuyasha's sleeping form. Her eyes occasionally darted to the window, as if expecting Naraku to appear and sweep Inuyasha away from her. She refused to give him up, not when she was so close to reaching him.

After a few moments, she reached out a hand and brushed over the straps that held the top half of his taijiya uniform in place. He was still bleeding, she realized with some distaste, and she would have to treat him.

Her cheeks turned a vibrant pink as she untied the strings of the collar of his uniform and peeled it off his body, the youkai hide sliding of his skin as if made of silk. She was instantly captivated by his flawless chest.

Being a taijiya, what should have been a scarred and disfigured chest was a majestically sculpted masculine form. Her face burst into flames and she had to turn her head away. The whole situation was a bit disbelieving. Here Inuyasha was, half-naked and asleep on her bed. She could very well have her way with him should she choose to.

She sputtered to herself at such a thought and occupied herself with inspecting the cuts and gashes she'd inflicted on him. Instantly she recognized the single scar on his body. The smallpox vaccine had left him vaccinated and scarred.

'_Well, at least I know now that he didn't disappear because of smallpox,'_ she thought snidely and couldn't even bring herself to laugh at her own joke.

The thin, black choker around his bicep shielded his scent from enemy demons. Her fingers ran over the simple band of technology around his arm.

The pads of her fingers brushed over his tanned, toned skin. She blushed again and felt her thin pink lips curve into an embarrassed smile. Despite the humiliating situation, Kagome couldn't help but admire the beauty that was Inuyasha's body.

'_I cannot believe I'm thinking like this,'_ Kagome berated herself mentally, squeezing her eyes shut and muttering to herself about how wrong this would look if someone were to walk in.

'_Oh God!' _Kagome thought abruptly, _'What is my mother going to say?'_

* * *

The night had passed by slowly. The silence in Kagome's room was only interrupted by the gentle tick of her pink alarm clock. She alternated between watching the second hand's slow movement around the circular clock face and watching over Inuyasha's sleeping form.

He'd roused a couple of times within the last few hours but had not fully awakened. She knew that she hadn't caused his reaction. The combination of his human night and his physical exhaustion had drained him of all energy. That, and the fact that the piano wire Kagome had used against him had evidently been dipped in a small amount of poison. Usually she was on top of such things, but the notion had slipped her mind when attacking Inuyasha.

She begrudgingly admitted that she'd made a mistake, but save for the long hours of sleep, which also played into Inuyasha's exhaustion, Kagome knew that Inuyasha would be alright in the end.

Her night had preceded uninterrupted save for the time her family had returned home. Her eccentric grandfather and Rin both had slouched off to bed instantly while Souta and her mama remained awake and downstairs.

As Souta ascended the stairs an hour after he'd returned home, he banged against her door as he was prone to do. Normally, the attempts to scare her simply annoyed her and she shooed him away with a loud cry declaring his annoying nature. Tonight, however, she'd jumped and released a tiny squeak. She'd been captivated by Inuyasha's prone form and hadn't realized her brother was outside her door.

"Goodnight, Kagome!" his voice had filtered through her door. Kagome had returned his call, albeit shakily.

Afterwards, her mother had come to the door, knocked, and said goodnight to her daughter. Kagome had refused to open the door, opting to keep Inuyasha's presence a secret.

Now, in the dead of night, with the stars peppering the ebony sky, Kagome saw Inuyasha stir once again. His eyelids fluttered open, revealing the deep lavender of his irises.

His head shifted, staring at her, his eyes slightly hooded. He was still affected by the poison, evidently, because when he tried to speak, only a small groan escaped his mouth before he plopped his head back down onto his pillow, clenching his eyes shut.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome murmured, reaching out a hand and cupping his burning cheek. "How are you feeling?"

The hanyou-turned-human murmured something incoherent before his eyes fell open again. Misted violet eyes stared at her, almost pleadingly. He whispered out something again, his lips moving but no sound coming out.

"I can't hear you," Kagome whispered, her hand brushing over his forehead affectionately. "Everything is going to be fine."

He breathed deeply, his chest rising and falling with every breath. His hands clenched and unclenched nervously as he gazed hesitantly around the room. Despite his delirium, he knew of what was going on, too, it seemed.

It was nearly a quarter of an hour before Inuyasha's voice finally cracked and she heard his throaty, dry words. "I have to protect you."

Kagome paused at such a declaration, her blue eyes wavering as she stared down at the delirious boy. Did he mean it?

"You can protect me by staying with me," she urged quietly, her voice feather soft. She was disappointed to see Inuyasha's head shake from side to side. "Why not?"

"He'll get you," he murmured, his eyes falling shut. He was still after that, and Kagome was sure he'd fallen asleep again until, "and my mom."

"He has your mom?" Kagome questioned hesitantly, and then remembered the conversation she had with Sha so long ago, about how hard it was to lose parents. Her eyes softened and she ran her fingers through his long tresses of black hair. "You can get her back."

"I have to stay close to her, so I can rescue her," Inuyasha whispered, turning his head away to stare at Kagome's wall stubbornly. His eyelids fluttered and he struggled to breathe in again.

He moved his arms and struggled to push himself up into a sitting position. Kagome straightened and reached for him.

"Inuyasha, you should rest."

The halfling ignored her and crossed his legs, finally worming his way into a sitting position. Frowning, he motioned to Kagome to sit next to him, to which she complied. They sat silently, staring at the wall opposite them before Inuyasha sighed and leaned backwards, lying across Kagome's bed with his head hanging off the other side. Kagome followed after him.

"I'll do whatever it takes to win…" Inuyasha whispered. "I won't let this stop me."

She wasn't sure who he was talking about winning against, and she wasn't even sure he was speaking to her anymore. She shifted closer and rested her head against his shoulder, wishing for the physical contact. Evidently, Inuyasha seemed to want it to, for he shifted closer, too.

He murmured something again, which Kagome couldn't understand.

Inuyasha continued to babble about odd things for the rest of the night, the poison manipulating his ability to think logically. He shifted from serious conversations to the babbling of an energetic toddler. It was an odd sight, and Kagome was finding difficulty taking anything Inuyasha said to heart. His delirium was affecting his words.

"But I don't care," Kagome whispered, crawling over him. He stared up at her with misted, hazy eyes. "I will not let you leave. I won't turn you in, either. You'll come back to the taijiya."

"Locked away," he whispered and laughed quietly. Kagome frowned.

He lifted his head, sitting up and causing Kagome to shift into his lap. His hands grasped her hips and she stared at him in alarm.

"Inuyasha… what…?"

She didn't finish because he leaned forward, taking her lips into his own. She didn't have time to respond, however, because he pulled away and shifted his head so it was pillowed against her shoulder.

Kagome felt a small smile fight against her lips.

"There's a hole in your ceiling," he whispered.

"What?" Kagome squawked out in surprise and swung her head upwards to look for the supposed hole. "No there isn't, Inuyasha."

When she looked back at Inuyasha, the boy was sleeping.

* * *

Kagome thumped to the ground rather abruptly, which was quite a disappointment because she was having a very wonderful dream before such a rude interruption.

Inuyasha was scrambling around the room, pulling the top half of his uniform back on, covering the bandages Kagome had given him rather effectively. The sun had evidently risen, dispelling any remaining poison from his system and extinguishing his humanoid features.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome began but was cut off by the said boy.

"Don't move," he snapped out, racing to the window and searching around before propping his foot onto the window's sill to disappear through.

"Wait!" Kagome called, standing up hesitantly. An ear swiveled back towards her, signaling that he was listening. "Don't go… I…"

"It will be best if you stay where you're standing," Inuyasha warned, turning his head and regarding her with cold golden eyes. So he'd slipped back into that mode, it seemed. Was this Inuyasha's true character, or was his true character shinning through last night?

"You don't have to leave. You can stay… and join our side again. You don't need to do this," Kagome urged, clenching her hands together, her blue eyes silently calling out for him.

Inuyasha snorted. "Why would I want to do that?"

"I know that you're not evil."

"I'm a hanyou," he growled out. "I'm evil by nature."

"No," Kagome protested, wanting to reach out to him. "Don't think that just because you have demon blood that automatically makes you evil."

Inuyasha snorted. "Stop preaching to me, wench."

The word stung. She'd grown used to hearing her name from his lips.

"You don't have to pretend to be like this anymore," Kagome murmured, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. "I know this isn't you. I care about you. I want to help you."

Inuyasha turned his head away, hiding his crushed and pained expression. Stilling his quaking hands by grasping the window, he slid it open.

"I have no feelings for you," he finally spoke, his voice cold. Kagome lowered her eyes. "I have no desire to return to the taijiya. I belong on the other side."

He passed through, disappearing from her view. When she ran to the window and looked out, she couldn't make out Inuyasha's form.

Kagome frowned at his words. They bit at her and crushed her… but through that resounding disappointment, Kagome knew one thing was true.

"You're a liar."

* * *

"Good morning, Kagome," Souta called from the living room when Kagome dejectedly marched downstairs.

"Hey, Souta," Kagome murmured and flopped down next to her younger brother. Souta was watching the news, waiting for the weather report.

"If it's rainy today, I'm going to go to the movies," Souta explained when Kagome questioned him on watching the boring channel.

"With a _girl_?" Kagome giggled out and ruffled her brother's already untidy hair.

"_No_," he said sarcastically, "with two men. What do you _think_, Kagome?"

The boy was blushing. Kagome, satisfied with her daily Ignore-Your-Brother dosage, stood and left the room. Entering the kitchen, she was happy to see her mother preparing breakfast.

"Here you are, Kagome dear," her mother said brightly, handing a bowl towards her daughter.

"Thanks, Mama," Kagome spoke with a mouthful of her breakfast.

Their quiet morning was interrupted, however, when Souta gave out a quick call for his mother and Kagome. The two women rushed into the room, thinking he was in some kind of immediate peril.

Instead, they were rewarded with Souta's eyes glued to the television.

"Souta, what—"

"Shh," Souta urged and motioned wildly to the TV. "Listen."

"_The two police officers were rushed to immediate care to check for any abnormalities the taijiya may have inflicted…"_

"Souta,"Kagome questioned. "What is this?"

"Remember the two police officers who were found in the ditch?" Souta questioned, his eyes wide. Kagome nodded. Yes, she remembered them. Inuyasha put them there. "Well, they woke up!"

"Oh, my!" Kagome's mother marveled as she, too, was captivated by the television's report.

They'd moved onto an interview with the two police officers.

"_Well, we were investigating a suspected member's house,"_ _the male officer spoke, his head held up high and a small smile playing on his lips. "When suddenly, this woman from the taijiya broke in and assaulted us. When we awoke… today… we were in the hospital. After the woman attacked us to protect her comrade, we don't know what happened." _

_The female officer nodded her agreement, looking like something sour had just been squirted into her mouth. _

The television returned to the anchorman.

"_And now, with information on a suspected taijiya member, Reporter Yukio Jinto is live at the scene of the crime. Yukio?"_

The scene switched, yet again. But this time, there was a woman standing in Inuyasha's messy apartment.

"_Thank you Ichiro," the pristine woman spoke into her microphone as she moved around the room. "As you can see, this apartment has been abandoned for quite some time now. Both windows have been broken into, and the apartment is incredibly bare. But, as I walk into the scene of the crime—the suspected member's bedroom, perhaps there will be a different story."_

_The camera showed the woman walking into the bedroom before scooping over Inuyasha's room. _

"_As you can see by the broken window, this is where the break-in took place before the officers were attacked by the female taijiya."_

_There were various men working around the room, searching for evidence. _

"_Excuse me, sir," Yukio interrupted a man working, who stood up, flashing the badge on his chest. "Can you tell us what you've found now?"_

"_Well," the man cleared his throat. "We've investigated the area, and though we have not found any uniform or ID badge, we've found various weapons used only by the taijiya."_

"_What kind of weapons?"_

"_Weapons that are beyond our time," the man said gravely. "The taijiya have been keeping this technology from the world for years. They're small, compact objects that hold huge power. Our two officers were attacked with very powerful sleeping powder tipped with poison. This left them sleeping and unable to speak."_

"_I see."_

"_We had to put them back into sleep while we figured out a way to extract the poison. We're proud to say that, as of this morning, they are completely cured."_

"_A wonderful thing to hear, indeed," the reporter agreed, smiling charmingly at the officer. The man nodded._

"_However, we've found enough evidence here to pin him." The man seemed proud._

"_You heard it here," Yukio spoke to the camera. "Inuyasha Takahashi is indeed a taijiya member."_

Souta and Kagome's mother's eyes opened wide.

"A taijiya!" Mama exclaimed in shock. "Oh my… I never knew."

"Wow," Souta said, in awe.

Kagome shifted uncomfortably, staring at the television screen as they supplied information on Inuyasha, urging anyone with information to please contact the hotline number.

"I feel sick," Kagome murmured and toddled out of the room, clenching her eyes shut as she gripped the wall. She had to save Inuyasha but now everyone knew his secret.

'_At least they don't know he's a hanyou,'_ Kagome finally decided. _'Yet.'_

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Naraku?" Inuyasha questioned as he was shoved into Naraku's office. The shape-shifting hanyou, currently hidden behind his Prime Minister Musou disguise, glanced up at him from his paperwork, flashing a smile that would have been considered charming by anyone else's standards.

"Ah, Inuyasha. Just the man I wanted to see," Naraku laughed sourly before waving towards a chair. Inuyasha remained standing but the dark half-breed didn't seem to mind too much. He smirked at the dog demon arrogantly before leaning back in his chair. "I have a job for you."

It had been several days since his return from Kagome's home. He was not eager for another assignment. He'd spent the last few days dumping the mysterious, clear liquid into the waterways and kidnapping more humans for his sick hybrid army. His body was weak from the blood Naraku had been draining from him for the sinister purposes.

Naraku paused, writing something down before signing a paper. He stood up and cracked his neck by rolling it from side to side. He was eye level with Inuyasha.

"I want you to kidnap Rin Higurashi," Naraku said finally. Inuyasha's eyes widened in shock as he absorbed what Naraku was telling him to do.

"What? Why?"

Was this another ploy to get Kagome's confidence to lower? Was this another attempt to get Kagome through her family? Inuyasha was starting to really hate Naraku's techniques in getting ahead of everyone.

"I want you to kidnap Rin and kill the rest of Kagome's family," Naraku continued, moving on as if he hadn't heard Inuyasha's outburst. "Kagome may prove to be beneficial to us in the future… especially with her aura tainted by her desire to avenge her family. Especially if you're the one to kill them."

Naraku chuckled at his own clever plan while Inuyasha stood in petrified shock. He was doing this to protect Kagome, but he had to draw the line at killing her family and kidnapping her only little sister. How much more could Kagome take before she snapped?

"I won't."

Naraku eyed him. "You know what will happen if you refuse."

Inuyasha clenched his jaw and squeezed his fists. He stood, his back rigid and his eyes flashing red for a brief moment before he controlled his emotions, breathed deeply, and nodded his head mutely.

"Good boy."

* * *

The rain splattered against her window, shedding a rather ominous feeling in her gut. It had been days since she'd seen Inuyasha. She was worried. The odd twisting in her gut wasn't something she felt was good.

Her palm rested against the glass of her window, leaving a palm print on the fogged surface.

"Something's coming," she whispered to herself, her breath frosting over her wet window. She pulled away and ran downstairs.

It was a lazy evening. Souta and Rin were playing video games, Grandpa was sleeping in his armchair, and Kagome's mother was dusting the shelves around the room. Kagome entered and flopped down onto the couch, watching as Rin and Souta battled over something on their game.

Kagome felt nervous and on edge. She knew it was coming. Whatever it was. Her aura extended, searching around the area of her home. Then, she felt him.

'_Inuyasha.'_

In that instant, the window smashed open, causing Rin to scream and Grandpa to jolt awake. Mama dropped the wet cloth she'd been using to clean the dusty surfaces and quickly darted forward, placing herself in front of Souta and Rin, still sprawled on the floor. Kagome stood slowly as Inuyasha nimbly jumped through the window.

Rin screamed again. Evidently, Inuyasha looked rather scary. His long silver hair, weighted by the rain, swayed behind him. The entire bottom half of his face was covered by his gas mask and the top half by protective goggles. He reached up to his elbow pad and opened the hidden compartment.

Kagome knew exactly what was happening before it happened. She lifted her shirt over her mouth, doing her best to block out the scent of the gas that rolled around the room. She clenched her eyes shut just in time for the flash bomb to light her room in a sickeningly blinding blast.

She could smell the putrid scent of the smoke and heard the thudding of her family as they collapsed to the floor. She heard Rin squeak one more time before falling silent.

When she dared to open her eyes, Inuyasha was standing over her mother, a poisonous dart in hand. Kagome's eyes widened in shock as he dug the dart into her neck before shooting one at her grandfather. Souta was already on the ground and Rin, to Kagome's horror, was tucked under Inuyasha's arm, limp and unconscious.

Kagome felt dizzy. Partly because her shirt was not a good gasmask and partly because of the situation. She ran to her mother, ignoring Inuyasha. She knelt, feeling her mother's forehead. It was bitterly cold. She pulled her hand back.

She looked up at Inuyasha, horror in her eyes. "What did you do?"

Inuyasha didn't respond.

She reached out and felt for her mother's pulse. She froze in shock when she felt nothing for several seconds.

"No…!" She whispered out and scrambled to her fallen brother, groping for a pulse. Nothing. Her grandfather. Nothing.

"Inuyasha…?" Kagome whispered, lifting her head and feeling tears fight against the tears in her eyes. "What did you do?"

He shifted Rin in his arms.

Kagome stood slowly and walked towards him. He backed away until his back was pressed against the wall. Kagome stood in front of the window, blocking his exit. She wished she could see his face, see his deep golden eyes.

"What are you doing with Rin?" Kagome whispered, tears spilling down her red cheeks.

"Naraku has a need for her," Inuyasha said vaguely. Kagome frowned.

"Please…" she murmured, grasping her hands together as if in prayer. "Inuyasha…"

"I have my orders. Don't come near me or I'll be forced to kill you, too," he snapped out angrily. He'd fallen back into his roll as Naraku's henchman. Kagome knew he was lying.

But… But he'd killed her family. Kagome, shocked by such an idea, refused to believe it.

"I know you're not evil, Inuyasha. Please…" She reached out her hand, as if attempting to grasp him and hold him close. "I know this isn't what you want. I know you're a good person. Don't let Naraku… don't let Naraku do this to you."

"Step aside, or I'll kill you."

"Please… Inuyasha… you're not evil, you're not evil. You don't need to do this just because you're a hanyou. You're not evil."

"Step. Aside. Now." Her words had struck a nerve.

Kagome refused to relent.

"You're not evil just because you have demon blood," she urged, taking a step towards him. He stiffened. "You're a good person. I know you. I know that you don't want to do this… please."

She reached out for Rin, but Inuyasha snapped her little sister away.

"You shouldn't show sympathy for me," he growled out. Kagome swallowed.

"Please… don't take Rin away…" Kagome's eyes fell on her family.

It seemed to register what had happened. It seemed to register exactly what Inuyasha had just done. Her eyes widened and spilled over with tears. The blue gaze shifted towards him, biting her lip until she tasted blood.

"You…"

Inuyasha must have sensed the change in her. He darted forward and grasped her throat, preventing her from charging him, which she was about to do.

Kagome wept. "You _killed my family_!"

She screamed, she thrashed, she resisted, but in the end Inuyasha had the upper hand.

"Don't take Rin! Don't take Rin! Bring them _back!" _she screamed out, overcome by her misery.

Inuyasha squeezed her neck until her head lolled to the side and her voice ebbed away into sweet unconsciousness.

* * *

"Where am I?" Rin jolted awake, overcome by a nightmare. She struggled to sit up and her arms felt weak.

"Captured," a voice said beside her. She lifted her head and turned to look at the scary man who'd kidnapped her before. His long silver hair spilled over his shoulder and dark amber eyes watched her closely. "You were kidnapped."

Rin sat stupidly for a moment, rubbing her head. "What happened?"

"I attacked you and your family," the man said quietly. If Rin was able to comprehend things as complex as human emotions, she might have detected the deep regret and pain saturating the man's throaty voice.

"Are they… dead…?" Rin whispered, tears collecting in her brown eyes.

The man shook his head. "No. They're in a false hibernation."

"A…?" Rin trailed off, not sure what he meant. Did he mean like when bears slept during the winter?

"There's a poison that can trigger the unexpressed gene in the neuron's nuclei chromosomes, one that we share with bears. It can trigger a false hibernation that causes humans to decrease their breathing and their heart rate to eight beats per minute."

Rin stared at the man blankly. He seemed to realize he was talking to an eight year old because he gave her an apologetic smile.

"They're sleeping for a long time."

"Oh," Rin bubbled, seemingly unfazed by the fact that she was in a strange room with a strange man who'd taken her away from her family. "Okay then."

They sat in silence.

"Why am I here?" Rin asked.

"I wish I knew."

Rin bit her lip. "What's your name?"

"Inuyasha," the man said after a long pause of thinking.

Rin frowned. "I know someone named Inuyasha. My big sister Kagome likes a boy named Inuyasha."

"I know."

"I miss Kagome," Rin said forlornly. "And grandpa, and Souta, and Mama."

Rin's bottom lip quivered at the idea of her mother, all alone, sleeping on the floor. She began to cry quietly, wishing that she could see her mommy at that moment.

Awkwardly, the demon named Inuyasha shifted towards Rin and patted her head, unsure how to help a crying girl.

"Don't cry, everything will be okay. I'll make sure that nothing bad with happen to you."

Rin smiled through her tears. "Thanks."

The next morning, Rin was taken away by Naraku.


	17. Chapter 17

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Seventeen**

* * *

Inuyasha stirred from an uneasy sleep. Rin's presence was gone, having been taken away by Naraku. He blinked a couple times, registering the bright light overhead. His dog ears detected a faint murmuring from the other side of the wall. Someone was talking.

He crept slowly, hoping that the people on the other side didn't hear him. He crouched before the wall and pressed his ear against the wall, listening to the voices. He recognized the first voice right away as Naraku. He didn't know whom the second voice belonged to, however.

"The BWATE canon has broken down," the second voice informed Naraku. "It's lost all its energy."

"You have no other way to fuel it?" Naraku asked silkily.

"It wasn't meant to run for weeks on end without any stop. Besides," the second voice informed Naraku, "it's succeeded in its job. We have no more use for it."

"Don't be so sure," Naraku said testily, thought Inuyasha couldn't miss the tone in his voice. Naraku was proud of himself. "Over these last few weeks, I've been reconfiguring the BWATE's abilities."

"How so?"

Naraku chuckled to himself. "The BWATE has such potential. It wasn't meant just for biological warfare, though I'll admit that it has certainly done a superb job in that department."

Inuyasha should have known. The rise of smallpox in Tokyo was because of Naraku. Inuyasha clenched his fists against the wall, still listening eagerly. He was closer to discovering Naraku's plan than any of the taijiya ever had. He prayed that Naraku would continue talking about his plans, just so that he could find a loophole or just some way to get away from Naraku's oppressive grip.

"What do we still need the BWATE canon for then?" the second voice questioned. Inuyasha could sense the uneasiness in the man's voice, as if he, too, were afraid to hear what Naraku had to say.

"Over thirty years ago," as Naraku spoke his voice seemed to be drifting closer. Inuyasha's ear twitched as he heard the squeak of a chair. Naraku had sat down. A few moments later he heard the other squeak of Naraku's companion sitting beside him. "I kidnapped five doctors. They were working on eradicating smallpox from India in the late sixties and had remained there, just in case the disease arose again. That is when I made my move."

"You kidnapped the doctors?"

"Not myself, exactly… The demons of India were very eager to comply to my wishes," Naraku said soothingly. "I wasn't in power of my league back then."

The second voice made a small grunt.

"For the past thirty years, I've been experimenting with the smallpox virus. In itself, it is a deadly foe for humans. It's killed more people than the black plague of the medieval times." Naraku chuckled again. "And demons are immune to it. It was the perfect opportunity for me to eliminate the humans once and for all."

"Indeed."

"It's take years and years, but we've finally found a breakthrough. I've managed to morph the smallpox virus to the perfect weapon. The smallpox virus has transformed into a deadly carrier. Nestled within the smallpox's DNA resides a new strip of information."

"What does it do?" the second voice breathed quietly.

"It's ingenious. It took me so many years to do this. But, by combining smallpox and methamphetamines I've created the ultimate hallucinogen." Naraku laughed sourly to himself.

"What does that mean?"

"I've been spreading the disease through Tokyo for weeks now. The BWATE canon, the waterways, cattle…" Naraku paused, allowing his companion to absorb this information. Inuyasha's eyes widened. He'd been pouring diseases into the water.

"It sounds like you've been planning this for a long time, Naraku." The icy voice commented idly.

"Yes, it would be the perfect plan, if only the hallucinations would trigger," Naraku drawled out. "Despite the successful fusion of a virus and a non-living drug, it didn't work on my test subjects. I was at a loss, how could my ingenious virus succeed if it was missing the most amazing part of its makeup?"

"Hm…"

"Then it hit me. External manipulation," Naraku said, chucking at his genius. Inuyasha leaned closer to the wall, yearning to capture every word that Naraku spoke.

"And how would you do that?"

"By psychic prodding, of course. If I could obtain a powerful priestess, I could hook her brainwaves to the BWATE canon," Naraku whispered. Inuyasha strained to hear. "And shoot her psychic powers all over the city and force the hosts of my virus into a false sleep. That sleep will continue as long as I deem it necessary."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. Was Naraku planning on using Kagome? Or Kikyou? They were both powerful miko, he knew that. What was Naraku plotting?

'_He must have kidnapped Rin to call Kagome here,'_ Inuyasha thought darkly. _'Kagome, don't fall for his trap!'_

"It seems like a lot of work, why not just kill them with the smallpox?" the second voice questioned snidely.

"That would be the sensible thing. But, I'd much rather have them deteriorate from the insides out. Imagine, living in an endless sleep, constantly hallucinating about your greatest fear or your worst nightmare. Besides, should the human prove resilient to my attacks on their subconscious, I'll send my hybrids to deal with them."

'_Mom,'_ Inuyasha thought in horror.

"And how will you know that it works?"

"Because I've been testing it on a psychic for quite some time now. When injected with it, she can manipulate it herself without even realizing it. She's been having successful nightmares for quite some time now."

"And who is this miko?" Inuyasha swallowed, praying that Kagome would not fall for such a trap.

"It's brilliant, really," Naraku laughed. "She's related to two powerful miko and no one has even suspected that her spiritual power greatly surpasses both of them. She's a dormant psychic, really. But I've seen her do strange things with her powers. And everyone is far too blind to see it."

Naraku shook his head. "It's brilliant."

"Who?" the second voice asked again.

"Rin Higurashi."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. Suddenly, it made sense. Kagome had told him herself that Rin was known for having dreams—and plenty of nightmares. He remembered the purple dart in Rin's neck. It hadn't been to anger Kagome; it had been to test Rin's ability to activate the virus in her blood. And when she'd started crying, the dishes in the kitchen had cracked and fallen. He remembered clearly the way their grandfather had glared at him when they'd fallen from the cupboard and Inuyasha had only assumed it was because they were leaning against the door.

Rin was a psychic.

She was a powerful psychic.

And he'd handed her over to Naraku.

Inuyasha felt sick with the thought. If what Naraku was saying was true, that Rin was more powerful than both her sisters, then Tokyo was in some major trouble. Naraku could use the BWATE canon to destroy the human population.

He clenched his fists.

"And this disease is remarkably convenient, too," Naraku said after a moment. "Demons are no longer immune. I can dispose of… disloyal demons now."

"Won't you be at risk, too? Won't we all be at risk?" the second voice sounded slightly annoyed at the idea.

"I'm way ahead of you," Naraku laughed. "Several months ago, after the completion of my brilliant disease, I kidnapped a doctor specializing in chronic disease. For some time, the doctor had been working on cures for diseases. I simply ordered the kind doctor to work on an antidote for my disease. I'm proud to say that the job is complete and Dr. Yomohama has done a splendid job."

"It seems that you have everything under control, then," the second voice said quietly.

"Yes. Now, I need you to report back to the taijiya headquarters. Tell me if they're plotting anything."

"There has been little activity from the taijiya," the second voice informed. Inuyasha's eyes widened. On the other side of the wall the traitor to the Demon Exterminators was conversing with Naraku as if they were old friends. "Their leader has been concerned with his daughter's well-being, who was thrown out of commission by Inuyasha."

"Yes… Inuyasha… Has he had any contact with the taijiya since joining our side?"

"No, sir. He has remained true to your orders and stayed away from the HQ unless directed by you."

"Was he contacted by Kamen at all?" Naraku asked again, and Inuyasha heard his anger.

"No, sir. Kamen hasn't been coming to the head quarters lately. I suspected they've dismissed her for a vacation in light of the betrayal of her partner."

"They still have no idea he's being blackmailed?" Naraku questioned.

"No, sir. I've made sure they believe him to be a power-hungry demon," the man said softly. "No one suspects a thing."

"Good. You're dismissed. Return to the headquarters."

"Thank you, sir."

Their voices fell silent and Inuyasha heard the footsteps of Naraku disappearing from the room on the other side of the wall. The other was still there because Inuyasha heard him sigh.

Inuyasha stared blankly at the wall opposite him. All this time, Naraku had been one step ahead of them and now he was already preparing for his genocide of the humans.

'_What can I do?'_ Inuyasha thought, horrified. He didn't have the cure and he didn't have Rin. _'I'll have to destroy the BWATE canon. Or find Dr. Yomohama.'_

He remembered Dr. Yomohama from his birthday. It had been on the news of the kidnapping. He remembered the short segment on the doctor's approval for positive demon-human relations. Inuyasha laughed quietly to himself as he remembered how he'd just wanted the demons to die.

'_I've changed since then,'_ Inuyasha thought sadly. _'I am no longer like that. I am a hanyou now.'_

He looked defeated. This situation was hopeless. Naraku had the upper hand and all he could do was sit back and watch as Naraku killed everyone in Tokyo.

'_It won't be long before he destroys all of Japan and the world, too,'_ Inuyasha realized. He frowned at how corny that sounded, but he couldn't pause to think of such things. The people he knew and loved were in trouble.

He stood up awkwardly and felt that his foot had fallen asleep. He had to save Tokyo. It was up to him.

'_I'm neither black nor white. My entire life I was told that demons were evil and humans were good. I don't care anymore if that's the case. Because I am both and I can't be both.'_ He clenched his eyes shut. _'Maybe I'm one of those stupid grey areas that everyone pretends doesn't exist… or maybe I'm just my own color. But that doesn't change anything.'_

He had to save his home.

* * *

Kagome awoke slowly, feeling the grogginess escape her as she tried to sit up. Her vision was blurred as the remains of the sleeping powder remained in her body. Rubbing her eyes, she gazed around, looking to see where she was.

Her mother's collapsed form beside her seemed to snap Kagome back into reality. Just as if a dam had exploded in her eyes, tears began falling down her cheeks and she threw herself down on top of her mother's chest.

"Mama…!" she wept out weakly. "Why did you have to die?"

She nestled against the warmth of her mother's body, sniffling and remembering the times she'd had with her mother. Then something seemed to register in Kagome's grief-stricken mind. Her mother's body was warm.

Kagome lifted herself up. If her mother died last night that meant that she would be stiff and cold. Hope flooded in Kagome's chest as she groped around for a pulse. Her fingers lingered on her mother's warm neck for a long moment before she heard the faintest beat of her mother's heart. Kagome's eyes widened.

"You're… not… dead!" Kagome wept out happily and cried into her hands, overcome with the relief of her mother's survival. Inuyasha hadn't killed her mother after all. Now that she gazed down at her mother, she could see the tiniest movement of her chest. Her decreased, shallow breaths were still providing her mother with life.

Kagome leapt away from her mother and rushed over to her teenaged brother, feeling for a pulse. When she was rewarded with the tiniest of pulses she hurried on to her grandfather.

"I can't believe it… he didn't kill you," she whispered as her grandfather's heart pounded once beneath her fingertips. They were okay. Her family was alive.

Inuyasha hadn't killed her family. He'd been ordered to kill her family, though. So, why hadn't he?

Once Kagome regained control of her emotions, she set to work. She moved each one of her family members to their respected beds. Once they were all tucked in and nestled beneath three or four blankets, Kagome shut the doors, shrouding their rooms in darkness.

That only left one thing.

Her baby sister.

Rin.

Kagome retreated to her bedroom and extracted her taijiya uniform beneath her bed and began stripping.

Kagome buttoned the last button on her uniform and began securing the shoulder and elbow pads. The blue armor reflected off the light in her ceiling. Securing her stomach guard with a thing ? strap, Kagome began tying her sash to her side.

"I will save you," she whispered to the photo of Rin on her desk. The little girl behind the glass smiled widely up at her, as if silently mocking Kagome's resolve. "And I'll save him, too."

She knew now that Inuyasha was innocent. The look in his eyes the night of the new moon was nothing short of pure devotion. Inuyasha would not betray her. And, her family was still alive. He hadn't killed her family.

"I know he's being blackmailed," she told Rin's picture. The picture didn't answer her, just silently stared back at her. "And if he's not, then I'll kill him so he can't do any harm."

With those words, she tucked a dagger inside her boot. "I won't allow him to hurt anyone."

The picture continued to sit on top of her desk.

"And if he is being blackmailed, I'll save him. He would never betray us. I have faith in Inuyasha." She nodded to her sister's photo and left her room, shutting the door and covering it in darkness.

* * *

Inuyasha crawled through the air vent slowly, trying his hardest not to make a sound that would echo throughout the entire ventilation system.

'_I never thought I'd actually be crawling around in one of these,'_ Inuyasha thought with a small amount of boyish delight. He felt like James Bond.

He was currently in search of two things. Either the BWATE canon or Dr. Yomohama. If he could destroy the BWATE canon, then Naraku wouldn't be able to concentrate Rin's psychic energy throughout the entire city. If he found Dr. Yomohama, he could steal the antidote to the super poxvirus and use the BWATE canon to distribute it throughout the city. Inuyasha would have given himself a pat on the back for such an amazing plan, but he was cramped for space and searching for one of two of his goals.

He'd been crawling around the venting system for what felt like hours, searching for some kind of clue. He needed to destroy Naraku. For once, he had to get a step above Naraku, just to thwart him and piss him off all the more. He knew that he was risking a lot by doing this, but he had too many people to protect.

'_I just need to find one of the two and then—'_ Inuyasha's thoughts were effectively cut off when his hand planted itself on a rusted grate and he fell through the venting system.

With a small, startled yelp, he fell into an unceremonious pile on the cold, hard ground. He moaned quietly in pain as he sat up straight and popped his back, trying to look as if his sudden fall was intentional.

It took him a moment to realize that he wasn't alone. An old woman sat at a table on the other side of the room, staring at him in shock. Her one eye was opened wide and Inuyasha realized that she was wearing an eye patch over her eye.

"What are you doing in my cell?" she barked out, her eye narrowing. Inuyasha glanced around, taking in his appearance. He was inside a cell; the woman was right about that. Three walls of thick concrete surrounded them. The fourth wall was absent and instead replaced with iron bars.

"Um… I was… checking the ventilation system?" Inuyasha guessed and pointed up to the metal pathway he'd been crawling in moments before. "Um… who are you?"

"I should be asking you the same question," the woman said angrily as she observed the boy. She stared at him for a long moment, succeeding in making Inuyasha feel very uncomfortable until her eyes widened in shock. "Inuyasha?"

The shock of falling through the venting system didn't compare to the shock of this strange woman recognizing him and calling him by name.

"You… know who I am?" Inuyasha asked slowly then realized that it might have been better to deny 'Inuyasha' as his name, just in case. Who was this woman anyway? And why was she in a cell?

"Of course I know who you are, you idiot," the woman said snippily and Inuyasha growled warningly at her.

"And how is that?"

"How could I not recognize the little boy who made a mess of my office?" the woman snorted angrily. "Please. When your father brought you in, you made quite a racket. You knocked over anything that got within a foot of you."

Inuyasha frowned and registered the woman's words. "You're the one who sealed me."

The woman nodded. "I am Dr. Kaede Yomohama, yes."

"Good thing I found you!" Inuyasha declared and he was suddenly on his feet. He ran around her cell, searching for the antidote he knew was around here somewhere. "Where is it, you stupid woman?"

"That's hardly anyway to treat me," the woman huffed and stood from her table. "What in God's name are you searching for?"

"The antidote to Naraku's virus," the hanyou said testily, growing impatient at this woman's lack of enthusiasm for his worthy cause. "Where is it?"

"Why would I give it to you?" the doctor asked slowly.

"Just give it to me," the boy barked, narrowing his eyes. He clenched his fists. "I need it. If I don't have it, Naraku will kill me with the rest of them. I need to save them!"

Kaede sighed and waddled over to him, observing him from her hunched form. "Save who?"

"Everyone!" Inuyasha said angrily, wishing the doctor would see what he meant and what he had to do. "I have to save everyone from Naraku."

"And how do you suggest you'll do that?" the woman said slowly.

"I'll kill Naraku," Inuyasha said darkly, his golden eyes flashing in the darkness of Kaede's cell. "I'll make him pay for what he's done to me."

Dr. Yomohama sighed and placed a small hand on Inuyasha's elbow. The said boy looked down at her, his golden eyes silently questioning her.

The woman led him across the room to a tiny rug. Kneeling, she pulled the red rug away, revealing a tiny, wooden trap door. Pulling it open she reached down and pulled out a tiny vial.

"This is one dosage," Kaede explained and handed the tube to the hanyou. It was a thick, mustard yellow liquid. Inuyasha's nose wrinkled in displeasure. He could smell the disgusting stench of the antidote through the glass test tube. "It will make you immune to the smallpox virus."

"Do you have any more?" Inuyasha asked abruptly. "I need to give some to Kagome."

"Kagome?" a new voice said behind the two. Kaede whipped out her hand and slammed the trap door shut before pushing the rug over it quickly. She stood up and Inuyasha followed suit.

On the other side of the cell's bars Kikyou stood, holding a tray of food for Kaede. Her brown eyes were widened in shock and her mouth was slightly parted as if a question was perched on the tip of her lips.

"Kagome? My sister?" Kikyou whispered out as she knelt down and slipped the food tray through a small hole at the bottom of the cell. Kaede moved over and grasped the food before retreating to the table she'd been sitting at before Inuyasha fell through the vents. "Is my sister okay?"

"Why do you care?" Inuyasha growled out angrily, grasping the iron bars and moving his face closer to Kikyou's. "You tried to kill us."

"And you tried to kill our family," Kikyou countered, looking miffed at the mere suggestion that she would betray her family.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "Don't compare me to you."

"You forget that you are not the only one under Naraku's control, half-breed," Kikyou said coolly and turned her attention towards Kaede. "What about my sister?"

"Yes, what about Kagome?" Kaede questioned quietly. "How is my granddaughter doing?"

"Granddaughter?" Inuyasha asked in alarm. This universe was too damned small for his tastes.

"Yes, Kaede is our mother's mother," Kikyou explained gently from the other side of the iron bars. "She's a powerful miko."

"Miko?" Inuyasha whipped his heard around to face the old woman. "But you're a doctor, not a priestess."

"Miko are very valuable in the field of medicine." Kaede took a bite of her cold, stale food before continuing on with whatever she had to say. "But I don't go around preaching my miko abilities."

"Why not?"

"If my powers were discovered, everyone would expect me to perform miracles. Especially since I work on chronic diseases," the old woman said sadly, looking far older in the dying light of the cell. Kikyou nodded in agreement to her grandmother's words.

"I see," Inuyasha said slowly after the words lapsed into silence. "But, I still need more of the antidote for Kagome and her family."

Kaede shook her head. "You hold the last vial. Naraku took the rest."

"What?" Inuyasha looked shocked.

"You needn't worry," Dr. Yomohama was quick to explain as she finished off her pitiful excuse for a meal. "While designing the antidote I discovered something amazing about Naraku's smallpox virus."

"What is that?" Inuyasha was suddenly before the old woman, leaning over her as he planted his hands on the table. "Tell me!"

"Miko are unaffected," the elder miko said gently. "I was sprayed by the virus after Naraku collected the antidote. I couldn't reach the cure before I passed out. The affects of the virus appear very quickly. But I have yet to get them and it's been a few weeks now."

"He sprayed me as well," Kikyou said gently, "When he discovered that I was trying to contact the taijiya with information of his whereabouts."

Inuyasha stared at the elder Higurashi sister in amazement. All this time, he'd assumed Kikyou to be another one of Naraku's minions. But she was in the same situation as he was. She was forced here against her will and prevented from returning to her home. Kikyou was as innocent as he was.

"I have to go and break the BWATE canon," Inuyasha said at last and moved towards the broken vent.

"No, don't!" Kikyou said in alarm, reaching out a hand through the bars and grasping Inuyasha's uniform. The man tensed. Had he been wrong about Kikyou after all? "We can use the BWATE canon to circulate the cure. You can't destroy it. You have to destroy Naraku."

Inuyasha nodded slowly. "Okay, so I won't destroy the BWATE."

"Good idea," Kikyou agreed and Inuyasha could have sworn he saw a shadow of a smile on Kikyou's lips. But it could have been a trick of the light because when Inuyasha blinked, Kikyou was looking at him sternly.

"You have to get Rin out of here," Inuyasha told Kikyou quietly. "He has her. He's going to use her to spread his influence throughout the entire city."

"I understand," Kikyou nodded. "But Naraku… he'll…"

"Don't worry," Inuyasha promised, flashing Kikyou a toothy smile. His golden eyes sparkled in the dim light outside Kaede's cell and he chuckled mirthlessly. "I'll keep Naraku distracted. You just get Rin out of here."

"Got it," Kikyou said as she turned to go.

"Kikyou," Inuyasha murmured and the miko paused. "Get Kagome. She'll help you."

Kikyou glanced at him over her shoulder and nodded once before she slunk off into the darkness of the corridor and Inuyasha disappeared through the vents.

* * *

Inuyasha dropped through the venting system far more gracefully this time. He landed, crouched over and poised to spring forwards. He glanced around, his golden eyes taking in his surroundings.

Standing slowly, he marched down the hallway. He'd find Naraku. He'd save them all.

As he rounded the corner he slammed into a body far taller than he. He stumbled backwards, flattening against the wall.

He blinked slowly and as he opened his eyes, the golden orbs widened. "You…!" he gasped out as his gaze fell upon the man before him. "What are you doing here?"

Sesshoumaru stood regally before him, poised like the ruler of the Western Lands he should have been, had it not been for the humans. His brother's hand darted out and grasped Inuyasha's neck, raising him above the ground and planting him firmly against the wall.

"How nice to see you, brother," his brother drawled out and Inuyasha's mouth opened in shock as he recognized his brother's voice.

The voice on the other side of the wall had sounded so familiar and now Inuyasha understood why.

"Traitor…" Inuyasha wheezed out as his brother squeezed his throat tightly.

"You know how much I despise humans, little brother," Sesshoumaru whispered out harshly, punctuating his words with a thick push of his head against the hard wall behind him. "You, of all people, should know this."

"Traitor," Inuyasha repeated, gasping for air.

His brother's poisonous claws dug into his brother's skin, sending shocks of deadly poison through his hanyou brother's bloodstream.

Inuyasha gasped for air as his throat constricted. He struggled to swallow and almost feared that he could no longer breathe with the combined effort of poison and his brother's choking.

"That's enough, Sesshoumaru, he's no use to me dead," Naraku's voice said from behind Sesshoumaru's tall body. The demon lord dropped the boy and sent a tiny glare towards the Ring Leader, not enjoying the idea of being bossed around.

Inuyasha crumbled to the floor, gasping lungful after lungful of glorious air. Naraku's foot flew out and caught Inuyasha in the side of his face, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Our little half-breed has been plotting against us," Naraku drawled out slowly, his red eyes glinting in the darkness. "Our little half-breed is a traitor."

He turned towards Sesshoumaru. "Leave us."

His brother left, melting away into the darkness. Inuyasha struggled to call after him, struggled to find an appropriate curse word to shout after his brother. But his brother was gone. He could have killed the demon lord.

Suddenly, Naraku's foot kicked out and caught his jaw, sending his face into a sudden whiplash.

He glared up at the man as a tentacle pierced his uniform, shredding it down his back and revealing cuts from the razor-sharp tips of the tentacles.

Inuyasha coughed and tasted blood from where his fang had pierced his tongue. He swallowed thickly and struggled to stand. Another kick sent him to the ground. Naraku chuckled mirthlessly and lingered above Inuyasha, watching the boy struggle for control of his body.

"You've just killed them, Inuyasha," Naraku said quietly, thoroughly enjoying his words. His eyes widened manically and his face split into a large grin. "You've killed everyone you know and love."

Inuyasha coughed again and lifted his head, staring defiantly up at Naraku. "Bastard…"

For several long, excruciatingly painful moments, Naraku sent blow by deadly blow to Inuyasha's weakening body. Sesshoumaru's poison marched through his veins valiantly, breaking his body down bit by weakening bit.

Naraku's dark scarlet eyes glowed in the darkness as he crouched beside the suffering boy. "You've killed them," he repeated. "You killed them and you'll be seeing them in hell once I kill you."

He grasped Inuyasha's long silver hair and lifted the boy's head up. Inuyasha spat at him but Naraku didn't seem to notice the mixture of saliva and blood drizzling down his cheek. He smirked wickedly at Inuyasha's collapsed form.

"How does it feel to be at my mercy, hanyou?" Naraku asked quietly, his red eyes glowing in his sick amusement.

His hand glowed and placed itself at Inuyasha's chest, preparing to rip it open and tug out his still beating heart. Inuyasha could imagine his companions now; dead. He'd let them down. He'd failed them. He'd failed everyone.

He felt sharp claws twist his skin and he winced in pain. He would not cry out. He would not give Naraku the satisfaction. He would die with honor.

Naraku suddenly stopped and lifted away from Inuyasha, placing a finger to his ear. "What?"

Inuyasha glanced up at him, his vision blurred. "Now? Are you sure? Okay."

He knelt before Inuyasha again. "Congratulations, hanyou. You're spared. For now."

"Wha…?" Inuyasha questioned, his mind fuzzy.

"You get the honor and privilege to meeting the Ring Leader," Naraku said at last as he hauled Inuyasha to his feet.

"Shut up, bastard," the words seemed to snap Inuyasha out of his daze. "I already know you."

Naraku chuckled. "You truly think I'm the Ring Leader, hanyou?"

Inuyasha seemed to deflate with that remark. He blinked stupidly and tried to clear his head. "Well," he said at last. "I _did_."

Naraku shook his head and laughed hollowly. "No. I am not _the_ Ring Leader. I am simply the leader of a much larger branch of demons."

"Oh…" Inuyasha said stupidly as Naraku dragged him down multiple corridors, leading him deeper and deeper into the facility that was the Ring Leader's headquarters.

"The Ring Leader wishes to see you."

They approached a door and without even knocking Naraku threw the door open. He shoved Inuyasha into the room unceremoniously and Inuyasha stumbled, falling forward. He scrambled to his feet and swayed once he stood upright.

His vision seemed to clear after a few moments of standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. Naraku shut the door, leaving Inuyasha in silence in the empty room. The boy swayed some more and looked around as the poison from Sesshoumaru's claws finally wore off.

"Welcome," a soft, husky voice said behind him. Inuyasha slowly turned around and gazed at the man who walked out from the shadows.

His eyes widened in shock. It looked as if he were looking a mirror. The man before him was tall and lanky, yet undeniably powerful, much like he was. His pointed face observed him with dark amber eyes.

Inuyasha recognized him immediately.

"Father…"


	18. Chapter 18

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Eighteen**

* * *

Perhaps there was some way that this was a mistake. Inuyasha tried to string together possibilities. Sango told him that his father was dead, that he'd died when the headquarters was attacked. They'd lied to him. His father was alive. But what was he doing here? And that… that was his luck.

The man stared at Inuyasha silently, his amber eyes observing the younger, shorter boy with dog ears on top of his head. When the said appendages twitched a look of realization dawned on the man's face and a tiny smile shadowed his lips.

"Inuyasha… look how you've grown," the man whispered quietly. Those words sounded like a shout in Inuyasha's ears and he just wanted to leave this place, leave this vision of his undead father behind.

"Dad?" Inuyasha asked again, still disbelieving that the tall demon before him could possibly be his father. He felt like he'd just been thrown into some messed up Star Wars parody and desperately wanted to escape it.

The man's shadowed smile reappeared again at that simple word. "So, you remember your father, do you?"

Well, that sealed the deal. This was his father, not just some sick copy used for Naraku's sick and twisted mind. The man before him was the father he never knew, the father that disappeared over ten years ago, leaving his mother alone to raise a sealed half-breed son.

A small jolt of rage shot through Inuyasha's being. His father was alive and he'd abandoned his family. And for what? For what?

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha demanded, his eyebrows knitting together.

The man was silent for a long moment, amber eyes staring around the room as if just seeing it for the first time. He blinked slowly and opened his mouth to speak before his lips fell shut.

Finally, he turned back towards his son.

"I'm the Ring Leader."

Even though Inuyasha had guessed that, hearing his own father say it was a major stab. He blinked in surprise and stared at his father in a look of awed horror. The man before him was everything he'd imagined his father would be like. Tall, handsome, and strong. He just hadn't imagined him on the wrong side. Or undead, for another thing.

"Your seal has worn off," his father said with a tone of mock pleasantness.

'_Way to point out the obvious, dad,'_ Inuyasha thought sarcastically to himself but didn't voice the opinion simply because he was afraid of what his father would be like angry.

"It did on my birthday," Inuyasha murmured, glancing off to the side of his father. He couldn't bear to look at the man who'd abandoned his family _and_ who was responsible for leading a group of demons hell bent on killing humans.

"You're twenty-two now, right?" his father asked, taking a step towards his son.

Inuyasha glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "Yes."

"Hm…" His father looked unhappy. "I'd been hoping that it would keep you sealed for the rest of your life," he said sadly. "Perhaps I can find Kaede and make her make another sealing charm for you."

"I don't want to be sealed," Inuyasha said automatically. He didn't like the idea of being denied something that was part of him. He didn't want to seal away his father's blood. The hollow man before him, who hardly lived up to Inuyasha's mind's eye of his father, wasn't his father anymore. The blood in his veins was the only reminder he'd ever have of his father now.

His father smiled. "That's good to hear, son."

Inuyasha didn't like the way his father spoke to him.

"How could you allow this to happen?" Inuyasha suddenly spouted out, waving an accusing hand in the direction of where Naraku had disappeared. "How can you allow him to do this to us?"

His father was silent for a long moment, his lips quirked downwards in a thoughtful frown.

"Inuyasha," he said finally, "you think that this was all Naraku's idea?"

Inuyasha's mouth fell open and he stared blatantly at his father. His shoulders sagged a little and subconsciously his foot took a step backwards. He had thought it was Naraku's idea. He'd grasped that single hope that his father was somehow innocent, or perhaps blackmailed like he was.

"But…" Inuyasha finally said after a long moment of petrified silence. "Why?"

His father sighed, looking weary. His golden eyes flickered around the room, absorbing everything that was his and always his.

Inuyasha watched his father's movements as he seemed to glide across the large room and position himself in a corner, sitting on a chair he hadn't realized was there before. He motioned for a chair opposite him but Inuyasha didn't move. He remained standing, his hands clenched, and his eye narrowed into an almost-glare.

The older man sighed and sunk into the comfort of the chair and glanced off to his right, not meeting Inuyasha's eyes. The said half-breed watched his father's movements like a hawk, daring him to try and pull wool over his eyes or dart away into the darkness of the institute.

"It almost seems like a dream now," his father's voice shattered the tranquility of the dark room. Inuyasha nearly started at the man's abrupt words but controlled his urges. He stood, stiff as a board, watching his father. "So long ago…"

Inuyasha said nothing as his father collected his thoughts. His jaw was set and her fists were clenched. He was ready for whatever his father could throw at him.

"I once thought that demons and humans could co-exist peacefully. Yes, in my young mind I believed that humans weren't bad, weren't worth killing," his father said gently, his voice filtering through the tensed air. "I was fascinated by humans."

Inuyasha took a step towards his father and stopped.

"But… it was a foolish dream to believe that humans could ever truly accept demons, and vise versa," his father said sadly, his face lifting upwards as he gazed at the ceiling beyond, shrouded in darkness.

"What about mom?" his son questioned quietly.

His father nodded his head. "Izayoi. She was the only one who understood my feelings. But, even she couldn't stop the emotions growing within me. They were strange emotions… things I'd never felt before." His father shook his head and ran his clawed fingers through long silver hair nervously—a habit Inuyasha realized he did, too.

"I wanted to protect your mother," his father continued, not even realizing or noticing the realization Inuyasha himself had just made. "I would have done anything to protect her. Even kill whoever made her angry."

Inuyasha was almost afraid to ask.

"Izayoi used to work at an office, in order to support our young son," as his father spoke his golden eyes flickered to the grown-up son, standing in his taijiya uniform and glaring at him silently. "But she had the worst boss in the world. The kind of boss, she said, that leered at you when you weren't looking and glanced down your blouse should it be too lose to cover up when leaning over."

His father's face contorted in rage for a brief moment, the only genuine emotion Inuyasha could ever remember seeing on his father's face up to that point.

"When she told me that… he'd…" His father's face wrenched again. "I killed the man for daring to touch her."

His father fell silent with that remark and allowed his son to absorb this information.

"Your mother was angry," his father said after a minute of silence, his voice blatantly bitter over the mere thought of Izyaoi's anger towards him. "She told me that he didn't deserve to die. I was angry. All I wanted to do was keep her safe and happy, and now she was angry and upset with me."

His father's eyes stared at the wall opposite but didn't focus. In his mind, he was reliving that day with his human mistress, their half-breed son looking on in confusion from the doorway, his arm still hurting from the shot he'd gotten earlier that week. That night, his father left Izayoi, and was never to return again to the place he once called his home with Izayoi and his young halfling son.

"That's when I met the demons… at that point, I wasn't the Ring Leader. I was simply another minion to the Ring Leader of that time. His name was Ryuukossei, a powerful dragon demon. He'd inherited the league from the former Ring Leader to his time."

His father's shadowed smile was back. "I struggled hard, but soon I was up near the top… much where Naraku is today. One night, I killed Ryuukossei and I became the Ring Leader."

"But why?" Inuyasha interjected. "Why did you abandon us? So you could kill humans?"

"You don't understand, son," his father said defensively. He stood from his chair and towered over his halfling child. "When your mother defended the man I had killed to protect you I realized that all humans were the same. They look down on us demons as heartless monsters who will kill anyone. I realized that your mother didn't trust me…"

"Stop it!" Inuyasha shouted, cutting his father off. "You have no idea what mom and I went through when you left! She was a wreck! She's still a wreck! She fucking loved you, you son of a bitch, and you left her to take care of some freak for a son!"

His father stared down at him in surprise, his golden eyes wide. The young man shifted his gaze away, not baring to stare at his father any longer.

"You left us."

"I wasn't needed."

"Yes you were!"

Suddenly, Inuyasha was sprawled on the ground. He gasped in surprise as a pain exploded in his cheek. He numbly lifted his head to stare at his father. Save for the fist lifted towards where his head had once been, his father hadn't moved. Slowly, he turned his head and smirked down at his sprawled son.

"Don't talk back to me, boy." His face was contorted again and for the first time since entering the room with his father the halfling feared for his life.

"Your mother is just like the rest of them. They'll stick together and fight against us demons until the day they die." He laughed. "And that day will come sooner than later."

* * *

"What are you doing?" Rin asked, shaking in her pajamas. Naraku strode around her, tying her to a chair and sticking a strange, metal hat on top of her head, mushing up her already tangled hair.

"Silence," the hanyou ordered as he strapped the last rope around the girl's tiny body. "I can't have you running away."

He turned a dial on Rin's metal cap. Rin tried to lift her head and stared to ask the man a question when he sent her a dark glare that silenced Rin quickly.

Suddenly, Naraku pushed a button and the strange machine Rin was strapped to, the BWATE canon, began to hum and vibrate. Naraku barked a command to one of his minions, who quickly moved and opened the retractable ceiling above. With the BWATE canon pointed upwards towards the open space and Rin hooked up to the machine's core, he was ready to succeed in his master's plan.

He extracted a large purple dart and struck Rin's forearm, inserting a liquid serum into Rin's arm. The little girl whimpered in pain.

"All systems go," he said, laughter in his voice as he flipped a switch and a thousand jolts of pain seemed to shoot through Rin's body.

The little girl screamed.

* * *

Kagome pushed her way through the headquarters. All around her, taijiya were running in separate directions, trying to call their partners or their teams, trying to figure out what was happening. All around the city there were signs of strange activity. Kagome had been interrupted from her search for Inuyasha and Rin when Sango had called her down.

Now, she was struggling just to get to Sango. After nearly fifteen minutes of evasive action, Kagome found herself in Sango's office.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked.

"There's something wrong with the city," Sango said quickly. "Naraku's done something. Everywhere we look we're getting reports of humans and demons alike suddenly falling to the ground and convulsing."

"What's happening?"

"Some kind of pseudo sleep. We're not sure what's triggering it or how it's being triggered, but we do know that it must involve Naraku. People are going into fake sleep, some kind of hibernation, I suppose, and they start convulsing and screaming with nightmares. We've gotten reports of two deaths from these symptoms."

"What do you need me to do?" Kagome demanded.

"Miroku's searching for the BWATE canon. It unleashes a unique gradient signature. If we can find an area with the butt of the canon's blasts, if it's being used, then we can find the general location of Naraku's hideout. You'll lead a team of taijiya there and search the area for the Ring Leader."

"How do you know if the BWATE canon is working?" Kagome questioned as she secured her gasmask over her mouth and tightened her goggles.

"He stole it, for one thing." Sango fiddled with her own gasmask. "And the affects are widespread. The only way that Naraku could spread this pseudo-sleep so efficiently would have to be with the BWATE canon or something similar."

"It's the BWATE canon, all right," Miroku interrupted as he entered the room, gasmask in place. He waved a couple pages of paper. "The radar has picked up on abnormal heat signatures in the third district."

Kagome plucked the papers from Miroku's outstretched hands and scanned the contents. She pursed her lips and glanced at her cousin and the doctor. "This is near the sea."

"Go now, Kagome. We'll send a team after you. Scout out the area and confirm the location," Sango instructed. Kagome nodded and disappeared from the room quickly.

Miroku glanced at her. "What of Inuyasha?"

"Kagome will handle it," Sango said with a dark look.

* * *

Inuyasha remembered a time when he regretted never knowing his father. Inuyasha remembered a time when he'd wanted to know his father. Inuyasha remembered a time when he'd imagined his father a great and amazing man, someone who fought for the taijiya and died protecting the people he knew and loved.

Now…

He hated his father.

"All demons are evil, my son," his father said gently as he circled his couching son. "Human-demon activists try to sugar-coat our hard, malicious nature… but it matters naught. There is a glimmer of evil within us, and always will be within us."

"You're wrong," Inuyasha snarled.

"Am I?" His father frowned. "Think about it, Inuyasha. We are demons. We were created by Lucifer himself to aid him in hell. We were created solely to serve Satan in the bowels of hell. We were not made to have feelings, to have a will of our own… we were created simply to be minions."

His father's amber eyes glimmered in the darkness. "But we were cast out. We were proving to be a nuisance. And now, we haunt this human world, never fitting in, but trying to. We're destroying the humans because we want our own world. We have no purpose other than to destroy and kill."

"You're wrong," the young hanyou repeated.

"Your mind has been deceived, boy. Your precious taijiya have given you the impression that demons can reform… that demons can live peacefully among the humans, acting and pretending. But we must always hide our true nature. We are heartless killers."

Inuyasha growled darkly, struggling to his feet. His father promptly kicked him down to the ground again, ripping a small moan from his son's mouth.

"You know what separates humans from animals, boy?" His father paused for a moment. "Humans have feelings. They have a conscious. That is what the humans are constantly preaching about, how they have the ability to feel compassion for their fellow man. Emotions are strictly for humans. Demons don't have feelings. We're just vessels for a much greater, supernatural power."

"Stop preaching to me," Inuyasha snapped out. "I already know this shit. Until I joined the taijiya, that's all I ever _heard_. Demons are evil. Demons are evil. Demons have no feelings. Demons were made to inhabit hell. You think I don't _know_ this, already?" He knocked his father's foot aside with his forearm when he made to kick his son down again.

Inuyasha struggled to his feet and stood tall, glaring defiantly up at his father.

"Well, guess what, _Dad_," he sneered, "I'm a hanyou. So what the hell does that make me?"

His father growled darkly, his warning reverberating throughout the room.

"I've always been taught that demons are evil and that humans are good." Inuyasha seized himself up. "But what about the humans? Aren't there criminals among the humans? Aren't there humans that kill and destroy just like demons do? But there are also humans that would _never_ do anything to hurt another being—even if that being happens to be a demon."

His hand coiled into a fist, his razor-sharp claws grazing over his palm painfully.

"Aren't there demons that live peacefully? Demons that do nothing but watch the world pass them by? Aren't there demons that don't _kill_?" The hanyou spat out at his father. "And what of the half-breeds, Dad? What the hell are we? Good… Bad?"

"Now who's preaching?" his father said coolly, glaring down at his insolent son.

No more words passed between them. Simultaneously, as if beckoned by silent strings of a puppet master, father and son launched at one another, their fists poised and their faces set with determination.

His father proved to be a superior fighter; he dodged and flowed around his son as if made of liquid. He moved and flowed, dancing around his son like the hanyou was a mediocre fighter. Inuyasha fruitlessly through out punches, attempting to catch his father.

The older demon danced across the ground, leaving only the caress of wind behind whenever Inuyasha threw a punch.

"You'll have to do better than that, son," a voice said behind Inuyasha before the impact of a kick slammed into Inuyasha's lower back, sending the boy tumbling across the room, rolling and skidding over the cold floor of the demon's head quarters.

The young man slammed into the wall, releasing a groan from the wall and hanyou. The halfling quickly jumped to his feet, crouching and staring at his father like a dying man does the grim reaper.

His father loomed over him and watched as he grasped something at his side. It was a sword. In a moment, Inuyasha realized that his father was holding Tessaiga.

The sword protested the grasp of its original owner, small jolts of electricity jumped around his hand. But Inuyasha's father either didn't feel it or care about the dancing stripes of lightening slapping against his hand.

Inuyasha glared as his father crouched, pulling the mighty blade behind him, poised to launch towards him.

Instead of launching towards him, however, his father whipped Tessaiga out and pushed it against the ground. Inuyasha watched in a mixture of horror and awe as three lightening strikes rushed towards him.

"Kaze no Kizu," his father shouted, the three words echoing throughout the dark room. Inuyasha jumped just in time to see the three stripes leave deep grooves in the floor and in the wall.

"What was that?" Inuyasha was unable to hide the awe in his voice.

"Your brother," his father said quietly, "tried to teach you the secrets of my sword. But you were a foolish boy who mistook Tessaiga for a mere sword, not a powerful weapon."

Inuyasha's mouth fell open. He couldn't deny that the sword was, indeed, harboring powerful attacks he'd never truly dreamed of. His father had thought up this sword? His father was a genius!

Tessaiga continued to protest in the man's hand, sensing his desire to kill humans instead of protect them. But, at the same time, the sword was unable to protest its former master's will.

"Kaze no Kizu!" his father shouted again. Inuyasha barely dodged it.

This routine continued for what seemed like an eternity. His father threw the sword's attack towards him while he dodged and fruitlessly attempted to attack his untouchable father.

His father was strong. Far stronger than anyone he'd ever experienced before. He'd dreamed that his father was strong. In the young mind of a little boy lacking a father, the small elementary school student imagined a powerful, strong man who he would be proud to call his father. His father was the reason he'd gone into martial arts.

He'd had visions of his father in those days. His father, so far ahead of him, back turned to him. With every step Inuyasha took, the boy grew closer to his father, hand outstretched to grasp his father's back. He'd dreamed of one day he'd finally be able to stand beside his father in that far-off, metaphoric distance.

Inuyasha dove forward, swinging his leg out and catching his father just as he was poised to swing his gigantic fang. His father released a small 'oof' of surprise before tumbling to the ground, his hand still grasping Tessaiga painfully.

"Was it your idea to steal mom, too, asshole?" Inuyasha snarled out as he straddled his father and sent punches towards his father's face, knocking the head from side to side. "Was it your idea to blackmail me with Kagome's fucking life?"

He punctuated each word with a hard punch to his father's cheeks.

"Was it your idea to steal Kikyou away from her family? To steal Rin, a fucking little girl? Was it your damned idea to kill all these humans?" Inuyasha's voice steadily raised in volume with every word he spoke, sending a different punch against his father's face.

A look of realization dawned on his father's face. He heard the dull thud of a punch hitting his cheek and sending him to the ground with an unceremonious curse.

His father stood above him and shoved his foot against his son's back, knocking him into the prone position and digging his heel against his spine. Inuyasha gasped in pain and clenched his eyes shut.

His father knelt before him, sliding Tessaiga before his neck. The sharp blade grazed over his skin, cutting the first few layers of his epidermis.

His father frowned. "Don't pretend to be so high and mighty, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha clenched his fists, feeling his nails digging into his skin and drawing blood. He swallowed thickly, trying to skirt away from the powerful blade of his father, but his father shoved his head forward, coming dangerously close to the sharp end to the blade.

"You're nothing more than a disgrace to humanity," his father whispered in his ear. The said dog ear twitched painfully under his father's dark hiss. "You were never supposed to live. Your mother should have drowned you the moment you were born. To harbor such a disgraceful beast in her womb for nine months and feel no malice for you… it's a miracle."

Inuyasha growled darkly. He would not let his father speak of his mother in such a way. This man, corrupted by the evils of the world and the power he'd captured years ago. His father had no right so speak of his mother. His father had no right so speak of him.

"You shouldn't even be alive, half-breed. You have no place in society," his father continued, a hint of laughter in his voice. "Humans despise you and fear you. They wish you dead. They see you nothing more than a demon. But you don't fit in with demons, either, do you?"

Inuyasha's jaw tightened.

"Oh no," his father continued. "Demons see you as a flawed being. Inferior and unfit to walk among the demons. It must be painful, son, to have no place in this world. You're tethered between two worlds—two worlds that will never accept you for what you are unless you hide your true face."

"Shut up," the man hissed.

"But," his father continued, ignoring his son's command. "You can have a place Inuyasha. Join me. Join me and you can be my right-hand man. You can _make_ your place in society."

Inuyasha felt the blade against his neck. He felt his father's hissed words filtering in his ear. He felt his heart thumping in his chest, longing for a place where he could fit in.

His vision blurred and he saw the purest, oceanic blue eyes he'd ever seen in his life. Soft, pink lips curved upwards in a serene smile as Kagome Higurashi gazed up at him adoringly.

No.

He couldn't.

"I have a place," Inuyasha hissed.

"What?" his father barked.

"I have a place," Inuyasha repeated, louder. He twisted around. He felt the blade slice his skin again as he threw a punch at his father's Adam's apple, sending him sprawled backwards, gasping for air. "And it's sure as hell _not_ with you!"

"A grave mistaken on your part, boy," his father snapped, his eyebrows knitted together in a face Inuyasha had often seen on himself. This truly was his father. And he'd angered him.

* * *

Miroku's suspicions were confirmed. Kagome could see a faint glow circulating the district. She couldn't pinpoint exactly where Naraku is, obviously, but she saw that there was a higher concentration of deaths in this area. All along the street people were lying. It was a grim sight and Kagome tried not to focus on it.

She flipped on her communicator and turned it to Sango's frequency.

She was poised on top of a high building, gazing down at the streets below. Her eyes roved over the area, searching for some where she could see the BWATE canon or Naraku.

"Sango? Sango? Do you read me?" Kagome snapped into her communicator. Her eyebrows scrunched together. "Why aren't you answering?"

"Naraku interferes with all frequencies here," a voice said behind her. Kagome whipped around, extracting the dagger in her boot and pointing it at the figure before her. Her eyes widened.

"Kikyou!" she gasped out. She stood up, blinking slowly behind her goggles. "What are you doing here?"

"I tried to contact the taijiya," her sister continued, ignoring Kagome's question. "He found out and tried to kill me. Ever since, he's been blocking all frequencies around his headquarters so that no one could do it again. He only runs a couple frequencies for his own devices, but I don't have access to them."

"You tried to contact us?" Kagome questioned.

Kikyou looked saddened. "I don't expect you to believe me, Kagome… but I really don't want to be here. I know I've betrayed you more than once, but right now, we have more important matters to attend to. He's got Rin."

"What has he done with Rin?" Kagome demanded, feeling her protective nature kick into gear. "Where is she?"

"Rin is a psychic," Kikyou said, frowning. "She's a powerful, dormant miko. She hasn't awakened to her potential yet, but Naraku discovered her powers before we did. He has her hooked up to the BWATE canon. She's the reason why the city's going insane."

"We have to save her!" Kagome exclaimed and searched around, as if expecting some door to appear that would lead her to where her youngest sister was.

"I'll help you," Kikyou said, determined. "Come on, the entrance is this way."

* * *

_Author's Notes:_ DaD has won second place at the IYFG for the best action/adventure of the fourth quarter of 2005! Thank you everyone for your support through this story! It means the world to me.


	19. Chapter 19

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Nineteen **

* * *

Inuyasha coughed up blood numbly. His father paused in his onslaught of attacks to gaze down at his son. His bloody, tired son struggled to sit up, pushing his hands to the ground. He watched as the muscles tried valiantly to push their owner upwards. He fell to the ground with a tiny grunt of pain.

His son wouldn't live much longer at this rate. The Ring Leader stared down at the pathetic excuse for a demon. A tiny growl emitted from Inuyasha's raw throat.

They were torn in a struggle—a tug of war. Inuyasha refused to relent to his father and was slowly losing all of his power. But he continued on, never faltering in his attempts towards his goal.

His father leaned over, grasping his son by the neck. He dragged him up slowly, watching as his feet danced across the ground, tickling the floor softly with his toes. He held his son up high, locking golden eyes with golden eyes.

"You're weak," his father spoke tensely, glaring down at the pathetic excuse for a demon. Inuyasha snarled angrily. "Unfit to live."

Inuyasha glared darkly at the man, digging his claws into the arm and trying to rip it away from his body. His eyes burned brightly with his determination and he didn't seem to know what was going on around him. His entire focus rested solely on the man before him.

He snapped venomously at the man when his father lifted his hand, knocking it hard against his face. Inuyasha's head whipped to the side and he coughed again, tasting the disgusting, copper taste of his own blood drizzling down his throat.

"Unfit to live," his father repeated quietly, watching his son's struggles intently. "Is this truly the best you can do?"

Inuyasha swore loudly at his father and kicked out his leg, catching his father's stomach. The elder demon released the tiniest of grunts before glaring darkly at his son. The claws in his arm pierced through his skin, drawing blood.

"Pathetic," his father snarled, lifting up his knee and knocking into the hanyou's stomach. A small gasp of surprise escaped the boy's mouth before he wheezed out for air. His father ran his claws along his son's stomach, opening up another cut on the boy's tattered body.

"Bastard," his son wheezed out, coughing.

He tossed the boy roughly, watching as his body knocked into the wall and slid down, landing on the ground with a dull thud, his legs bent in odd positions. "And now you're going to die here a worthless hanyou."

"I won't die," Inuyasha vowed, panting for air as he grasped the cut opening on his stomach.

"Oh?" His father leaned over again, plucking his son upwards and slamming him against the wall. Inuyasha gasped in pain as he clawed at his father's strong arm, trying to pull free and suck in a lungful of air. "And why not?"

"There are people… I must… protect," Inuyasha wheezed out, his eyes growing wide as his father squeezed harder.

"Who?"

"Like hell I'm going to tell you," Inuyasha snarled. Another slam to the wall sent a small cry echoing throughout the room and a jolt of pain to crawl up the hanyou's spine.

His head lolled and his vision blurred. His body screamed at him in protest, wanting nothing more than to fall into blissful unconsciousness. But he refused. He held on valiantly, grasping that final string of his sanity, trying to stay above the churning waters below.

"Don't talk back to me, whelp," his father snarled. He squeezed, watching as his long claws dug into Inuyasha's neck, piercing the soft skin beneath where his ears should have been.

Inuyasha kicked out his foot, trying to strike his father's solar plexus. His foot just fell short, the tips of his feet grazing over his father's chest.

"And you'll have nothing to live for if they're dead," his father said quietly. "Your mother… she might as well be dead with the state she's in now… and Kagome?" Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Yes, I know of Kagome. Kagome Higurashi, a very powerful miko… I'll make her wish she _was_ dead."

Inuyasha snarled angrily, his face contorted in his rage. "You won't touch a hair on their heads!"

"And who's going to stop me? You?" His father released a small bark-like laugh.

"Yes… me..." Inuyasha dug his sharp claws into the soft flesh of his father's skin, feeling his fang pierce his lip—almost as if they were growing. Blood drizzled over his father's abused arm.

"You can barely defend yourself," his father mocked, golden eyes observing his son. He smirked wickedly. "You can never defeat me."

"I can try," Inuyasha gasped as he felt air leaving his lungs. His body screamed for oxygen but his father refused to relent his harsh grasp on his son's throat.

He clenched his eyes shut, gently crying out. _'I have to protect them. If he were to touch them… I'd never forgive myself. I will protect them. I will!'_

He felt a change stirring within him. A delicious chill rippled up his spine, seizing him gently and wrapping around him like a warm blanket. Something within him had awakened and he knew exactly what it was.

He growled darkly, feeling his aura pulse and flow around him like a powerful current. He would embrace this feeling. He could defeat his father. He would defeat his father. All he needed was more power.

'_You won't touch them…'_

Inuyasha felt his vision blur red and ripple, almost like he'd submerged himself into water. He snarled angrily, unleashing an inhuman howl from his throat as he bit down on his father's hand and his razor-sharp claws sliced his father's skin.

His father pushed him away, slamming him against the wall. Inuyasha landed in a heap on the floor. Quickly, with a large growl, Inuyasha crawled to his feet, poised like a quadruped. His back arched as he barked angrily at his father, red eyes complete with dark green pupils taking in his surroundings.

His feral face rested on the man who dared to threaten his family. He growled loudly, baring his fangs.

"Your demon blood," his father marveled. He glanced down at Tessaiga. "So I was correct about your body unable to handle your blood. That is why I made the sword for you, after all."

Inuyasha didn't reply, he crept towards his father, his claws scraping against the ground and his ears flattened against his head.

"You've lost all control," his father stated calmly. "Simply because I threatened your mother and your… mate? Is she your mate, Inuyasha?"

The dog demon snarled angrily, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at the man.

The elder demon laughed again. "But why would a human miko dare to mate with a disgusting half-breed, hm?"

Inuyasha stood on his feet; his body scrunched into a battle pose. His talons clenched as he sneered angrily at the other dog demon before him.

His father's eyes glowed in the darkness, like twin lanterns in a dark cave.

"Why would a beautiful miko dare to even befriend a disgusting half-breed? Pity, perhaps?" His son growled again. "Could it be that you've fallen in love with the little wench, boy?"

"Don't talk about Kagome," Inuyasha snapped out angrily. His voice, two octaves lower than usual and far huskier, took his father by surprise. He hadn't been aware of his son's ability to speak in such a state of mind.

"And why shouldn't I?" his father questioned.

"She's mine," Inuyasha's hazed mind demanded and he voiced such an opinion. The dog howled quietly after his declaration, sounding like a lone wolf. He jumped towards his father and speared him with his claws, watching as the sharp talons slid from his temple down to his chest.

The long scrapes down his father's body puckered and spilled blood.

"You've lost control," his father said gently, dodging another attack. "This is why I gave you Tessaiga in the first place, should you ever lose control of your blood."

"Shut the hell up!" his son snarled angrily in his husked voice.

His father sent a high kick to his son's head, sending him to the ground. He groaned, ending the small breath in a gravelly snarl. His father dug his heel into the back of his son's head, catching an ear with his toe.

His son cursed him.

Red eyes observed the older demon darkly, silently plotting the best way to rip the man to shreds. His sharp talons left shallow marks on the ground. The sharp nails turned towards him, whipping out to catch the man.

Inuyasha's father quickly jumped away, landing in a crouch. Inuyasha growled darkly and did a backwards roll and squatting much like his father. They glared at one another, one with red eyes and the other with large golden orbs.

"Well, I see there's only one way to solve this," his father sighed. Inuyasha barked threateningly.

They launched towards one another and the sane demon punched his youngest son in the solar plexus. He was rewarded with the tiniest gasps of breath and a small squeak of pain. They landed and Inuyasha collapsed to the ground, wheezing and curling into the fetal position.

"I believe I gave this to you," his father said slowly, his amber eyes indescribable. He pulled Tessaiga from his side and tossed the sword towards his son. "It has chosen you as its owner. Naraku confiscated it—with much difficulty I might add—but it seems that my sword no longer wishes to be at my side."

Slowly, a clawed hand grasped the faded hilt of the mighty sword. It pulsed in his hands and Inuyasha released a tiny sigh and cough. Blood dripped from his partially opened mouth. He was losing too much blood. His entire body felt weak and the room was wavering and blurred.

"You made it to protect humans." His son lifted his head, revealing golden eyes once again. Tessaiga pulsed beside him, sealing his father's uncontrollable blood away.

"To protect your mother," his father corrected.

Inuyasha grasped his beloved sword and felt the warmth rush through his hand as he slipped the scabbard through his sash. He brandished his sword towards his father, watching as the rusty sword transformed into the mighty fang plucked from his own father's mouth.

His entire body shook with the weight of the sword and the weight of knowing that he was fighting his father. It didn't matter that the man was warped and corrupted with his own power and years of separation from humans, the fact still remained. He was trying to kill his father.

Simultaneously, as if beckoned by the strings of a puppet master, Inuyasha and his father launched at one another. Inuyasha swung his sword with all his might but his father quickly rolled aside, dodging his son's attack.

"You're too slow, boy," his father said seriously. "Tessaiga was not made to be treated like a mere katana."

"Allow me to show you what I can do with the sword, then!" the hanyou snarled as he lurched towards his father again, sword poised to sweep over his father's body.

His father nimbly jumped aside, planting his hands on the ground and sending a high kick to his son's head. Inuyasha staggered backwards, nearly falling with the weight of his father's sword. Tessaiga pulsed in his hands.

"You're too slow," his father mocked, standing tall before his son.

Inuyasha snarled and leapt up, swinging his sword above his head. The blade impaled the ground, but didn't even strike a hair on his father's body. The smirk his father was sending him—one that looked uncannily like his—irritated him like nothing else in the world.

"How do you expect to beat me, or anyone, if you can't even use your weapon correctly?" his father laughed mirthlessly.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Can't you smell it?"

"Smell _what?_" Inuyasha snarled angrily.

"The wind."

Inuyasha didn't know what the man was yapping about nor did he truly care. He ran around his father, searching for an opening.

"We're in a damned building," Inuyasha snarled. "There's no wind in here. There's nothing! Stop trying to distract me."

His father laughed again. "You're a pathetic weakling."

He leapt towards his son just as Inuyasha launched forward to attack, too.

His father's sharp claws dug along Inuyasha's skin, peeling the protective layer of his uniform away from his chest, revealing five red lines falling down his toned abdomen. Inuyasha couldn't take much more of the attacks his father was unleashing. He would die of blood loss before he even made his father nervous.

"I'll defeat you," Inuyasha vowed, clenching his sword tightly. "I won't let you win. Even if I must die, too, I won't let you do this to me or anyone else."

"I'll give you one last chance to join me, boy," his father said gently, trying to soothe his son's ruffled feathers. His chapped lips quirked into the tiniest smiles as he reached out his hand towards his temperamental, grown-up son. "Don't you want to know me? We haven't seen each other in almost ten years. Don't you want to know the father you never got a chance to know?"

Inuyasha paused, feeling his feet plant firmly to the ground. "I…"

"I know that you want to know me, Inuyasha. I can see it in your eyes. It's killing you to have to fight me, isn't it? So why not just push your sword aside and join me." His father lifted his eyebrows, looking firmly at his son. "You could have it so much better, you know."

Inuyasha was torn. He tethered between nodding his head and impaling his father with his sword. Perhaps… perhaps it would be better if he did join his father? If he did, he could prevent him from killing Kagome and his mother. Quite the Catch Twenty-Two.

'_And let him kill the rest of the humans? Would Kagome want you to sacrifice Tokyo simply for her life?'_ Inuyasha knew the answer without even asking it. The answer was no. Kagome would never forgive him.

He glared at his father. "No."

His father seemed unfazed. "But we're family."

"You are _not_ my father," Inuyasha snarled. "The father I knew would never allow this to happen."

He gripped his sword, feeling it groan beneath him at the intense grasp of its hilt. He would never back down. He would never give in. He would win.

"You obviously don't know your own father," he whispered.

Inuyasha was silent for a long moment, his face dissolving into a tortured look. He gazed at his father, wishing that he could preserve the sanctity of his father's image. He tried to recall the man he'd envisioned when Sango told him that his father had died fighting with the taijiya. He tried to recall the face of the man who was with him as a young child, looking after him and loving him.

That face was so distant now. He couldn't recall that face. He couldn't recall the man he had proudly called his father.

He was fighting a stranger.

"So be it," his father said quietly, his eyes glowing like fire. His father growled darkly, his eyes flashing red for a moment. For a horrifying moment Inuyasha believed he'd truly angered his father.

He felt a blast of his father's fighting aura just in time to see the man launch towards him. Inuyasha recoiled in surprise, swallowing thickly.

"No!" he screamed out and pushed his sword in front of him, pulling it upwards at an angle.

His father released the tiniest gasp of pain as the blade of the sword sliced through his chest, cutting through his flesh and sticking out of his back. His golden eyes widened in shock as he stared down at the large fang protruding from his body.

Inuyasha's sword pierced his heart, causing his entire body to scream in agony. Blood spilled from the hole in his chest. The color drained from his cheeks.

Inuyasha stood in a stunned silence, staring down at where his sword pierced his father.

"You…" his father said numbly, his hands lifting to grasp the blade of the sword. "You…"

Inuyasha quickly pulled his sword out, pulling it away from his father's body. The man collapsed to his knees, staring limply up at his son. Golden eyes wavered as his gaze shifted from his blood-drenched sword to the shocked expression on his youngest son's face.

"Dad… I…" Inuyasha wasn't sure of the emotions flying through him. He should hate the man before him, right? He'd… he'd done something unforgivable.

He knelt before the man. "Dad…" he repeated. "I didn't..."

"Do you smell it?" his father said weakly, gazing up at his son with blurred eyes. Blood drizzled from the hole cutting through his chest. He felt the air leave his lungs slowly. One of his lungs overflowed with blood and he swallowed thickly, trying to keep conscious long enough to speak to his youngest son.

"Smell what?" Inuyasha's brows knitted together. It was hard to smell anything over the stench of his father's blood.

"The smell of the air currents around us. Can you smell the wind?" his father asked quietly, his voice growing faint.

Inuyasha scented the air again. There was no wind in the dark room. The air was stale with the stench of his father's dying body. Blood pooled around him as his father vainly tried to cease the flow of blood from his abdomen.

"To be killed by a hanyou," his father sighed. "I never would have guessed."

Inuyasha's grip on his sword tightened. Shouldn't he be happy that his father was dying? He'd killed the Ring Leader. But he'd killed his father. He'd killed a man he'd never truly known and never truly would again.

"Search for the wind, boy," his father warned at his feet, blood pooling around him. "Find the scar that mars its perfect breeze and cut it. Then… then you'll… unleash one of Tessaiga's attacks."

"There is no wind, Dad," Inuyasha explained gently to the dying man.

"Our auras… they sweep the wind… search for it," his father sighed, his eyes falling shut. For a moment Inuyasha believed his father had just died before they opened once again. "Go…"

Inuyasha searched the air, as if expecting to see this 'wind scar' his father kept talking about. His golden eyes found nothing but the darkness of the room. He tried smelling it out but could only find the disgusting stench of blood in the saturated, stale air.

"I can't…"

His father collapsed further, lying supine on the ground. His back pressed against the floor, he stared silently above him, watching something invisible with his eyes. His father had located the wind scar.

"Don't be weak," his father warned wearily. He stared up at the ceiling with dulled eyes.

Inuyasha grasped his sword tightly; trying to find the place he could unleash the brilliant attack. He swung it randomly, trying to find the place where he could cut the air. Nothing happened, just the gentle whoosh of a sword flying through air.

"Inuyasha…" his father murmured. The ambush of death seemed to pull forth a new aspect of his father's character. Inuyasha inched towards the man and knelt. "There's a difference in the air. You can smell it if you try."

Inuyasha sniffed the air, finally detecting the slightest difference in the air around him. He almost missed it, for it was masked by his father's disgusting scent of blood and death. Death lingered in the air, awaiting its chance to grasp his father and carry him away in its cold grasp.

His body tensed as he grasped his sword. He could smell it. The difference in the air that surrounded them like a warm, welcoming blanket. He'd located the wind scar. He'd found it.

He gazed down at his father, who stared dully up at the ceiling, never registering anything as his life drizzled away along with his coppered blood.

"Father," Inuyasha said slowly. "Forgive me."

His father slowly moved his head towards his son, and a shadow of a smile filtered across his face. "Inuyasha…"

The said boy paused in his attack. This final attack would kill his father.

His father closed his eyes. "Take care."

He swung his sword towards the 'scar' in the wind, feeling the power surge through him and release in an onslaught of three lightening strips.

Inuyasha watched in fascination as the three strands of light swallowed up his father, and showered the room in a surreal light. When it cleared, his father rested on the ground, his eyes closed and blood flowing from him.

"Dad…" Inuyasha whispered and dropped his sword. It clunked to the floor before shifting back into a rusted sword.

He knelt before his father and cradled the man's head, watching as the color drained from his cheeks and the warmth left from underneath his hands. Inuyasha bit his lip, not understanding why he was expressing grief for a man who'd never deserved to live in the first place.

But he was his father. His father.

Why had his father willingly showed him the way to destroy him? Inuyasha didn't understand.

"I'm sorry…" Inuyasha spoke to the empty room and the unmoving body. He bowed his head. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

His father's body didn't move. It never would again.

'_Perhaps…'_ Inuyasha finally decided, gazing down at his dead, cold father. _'He wanted to be killed by me. Perhaps this is what he wanted. Maybe he didn't want to continue on like this.'_

Inuyasha reached out into the darkness, plucking that image of his caring and loving father away from the deadly shadow of the man before him. He would not let the image of his father—his true father—die here alone in this room. He would carry the image of his father forever. He would never forget.

Somehow, that idea comforted him.

"Sir, the BWATE canon, it's—" Naraku entered the room quickly and was shocked to see his Ring Leader lying on the ground and a very weary, bloody Inuyasha kneeling over him. He stared in shocked silence for a moment before he chuckled darkly. "So, you killed him?"

Inuyasha stood on wobbly knees, grasping Tessaiga. "I'll kill you…"

"I'd like to see you try." Naraku laughed. "With your father out of the way, I'm the true Ring Leader now! And to think, our all-mighty leader was done over by a stupid little hanyou. How pathetic. How truly pathetic."

"Shut up! Don't talk about him!" Inuyasha snarled angrily, wondering why it was that he was growing so protective of the father who'd tried to kill him and everyone he loved. "I'll kill you!"

"I'd like to see you try," Naraku repeated. "You can barely stand."

Inuyasha wobbled slightly and hated himself for doing so. Blood dripped down to the ground, mingling with his father's.

"It doesn't matter." Naraku looked around. "So, what did you do with the BWATE canon, whelp?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't play coy with me, bastard. The BWATE canon's missing and the psychic along with it. Where are they?"

"I don't have them."

Naraku's eyes narrowed. "You have them. I know you do. The only other person who could possibly have it is…"

Naraku suddenly trailed off, his eyes growing wide. Then, a dark smirk pierced his face. Laughing manically he turned his attention back to Inuyasha. "Oh, I see now."

"What?" Inuyasha asked, alarmed.

"You somehow contacted Kamen didn't you? She's the one with the BWATE canon. Oh, this is perfect. She's going to pay." Naraku turned to leave.

"What are you going to do to her?" Inuyasha demanded, brandishing his sword. He took a step towards Naraku, but the man seemed unfazed by Inuyasha's presence and unspoken threats.

"Kill her," he said plainly. Inuyasha stilled.

Naraku whipped something out of his pocket and threw it at Inuyasha. The hanyou was unable to dodge in time and watched as green dart pierced his skin. The new Ring Leader laughed harshly.

"A slow reacting poison," he explained when he saw Inuyasha's petrified look. "It kills you from the inside out. Very… very slowly. Enjoy death, hanyou, because it will bring you such peace when it finally arrives."

With a puff of smoke, Naraku disappeared. Inuyasha burst into action, flying from the room. He stumbled with the affect of lack of blood and poison. But he wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop.

He stumbled again and fell on his hip. He cursed inwardly as the knot that held his sash against his body dug into his skin. Why was it so hard, anyway?

He clenched the knot and his eyes widened. He quickly unwrapped it and a small ball spilled out, rolling along the ground. Barely the size of a golf ball it looked completely harmless.

Inuyasha remembered the day that Sango gave him the golf ball-like device. His jaw set in determination. He knew what he had to do.

He ran blindly down the hallway, searching for a clue to Kagome's whereabouts or Naraku's. He had to save her. He just had to.

* * *

"It's ready," Kikyou told Kagome, after plucking a wire within the inner core of the BWATE canon.

"How do you know how to do this?" Kagome questioned, leaning over her sister's shoulder and watching her work. "You were a model!"

Kikyou laughed. "Grandma explained the inner dynamics to me one day."

"Grandma?" Kagome asked, alarmed.

"Don't you remember? Dr. Yomohama was kidnapped a couple of months ago… Naraku was using her to create a cure for the smallpox virus he sent out. There's a cure already for smallpox, but not for the Meth he has implanted inside it."

Kikyou had spent the last hour reconfiguring the BWATE canon and explaining to Kagome the situation. Rin slept behind them, albeit uneasily, and her foot twitched occasionally with her dreams.

"Are you sure it will work?" Kagome questioned as Kikyou handed her half of the metal cap Naraku had forced on Rin.

"Just hold that cap and focus all of your purification energy into it," Kikyou said gently. Rin roused from her sleep, blinking her bright brown eyes as she observed her sisters.

"What's going on?" she murmured. She couldn't recognize Kagome or Kikyou through their gasmasks and their goggles. She tensed up and glanced around the two. "Who are…?"

"Rin-Chan," Kagome said gently, ushering the small girl closer. "We're here to help. Just stay close to us, okay? We'll keep you away from the bad man."

"Okay," Rin murmured, finding she trusted the kind, gentle voice of the woman in the black, skin-tight suit.

"Ready?" Kikyou questioned and Kagome nodded her head.

Kikyou flipped the switch and Kagome heard a low humming. She felt a warm flow through her, starting from her hands. She saw Kikyou narrow her eyes and her hands glow pink. Kagome quickly followed suit, her own hands glowing a bright whitish-pink as well. Together, they flowed their purification power into the metal.

Slowly, the BWATE canon seemed to respond to the pure stimulation. Its tip glowed a bright white before shooting outwards, encasing the city in a large dome. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief and pushed as much power as possible into the machine.

"It's working," Kikyou marveled. "We should be able to cure them."

"How do you know?" Kagome asked for the umpteenth time that day.

"Kaede said that miko are immune to the smallpox virus Naraku created. By flowing our priestess powers into the humans, and demons, we can destroy the virus."

"Won't we kill the demons, too?" Kagome murmured.

"Yes, temporarily, the demons will lose their powers and look completely human."

"Do you know what…" Kagome paused. "What will happen to a hanyou?"

Kikyou paused in thought, her hands glowing a bright white now, a perfect match to her sister's. She pursed her lips in thought as she registered what her sister was asking her.

"A hanyou will become human," Kikyou finally said.

"Okay," Kagome murmured quietly and pushed hard against the metal cap, feeling her hands burn with her power. "As long as a hanyou is safe…"

Kikyou gazed at her sister. "Inuyasha will be fine."

The taijiya's face burned a bright red, only visible in some areas of her uncovered face. She sputtered out a quick denial of her worry for Inuyasha before falling silent. Kikyou sighed wistfully and continued her work.

"Is… Inuyasha okay?" Kagome questioned gently.

"I'm not sure," Kikyou sighed. "I haven't seen him since he broke into grandma's cell and took her antidote."

Kagome frowned thoughtfully. Kikyou was unaware of what an impact her words had on Kagome. She still grasped the idea that Inuyasha was innocent. She didn't want to believe that he would do what he'd done willingly. She knew that he wouldn't. She had faith in Inuyasha. But, still, Kikyou's words did little to comfort her. Stealing an antidote to a disease hardly seemed righteous and good.

From their position on top of an empty warehouse near the docks in the harbor, Kagome and Kikyou could overlook the entire city in one direction. Together, they worked hard to cast their purifying aura throughout the entire city, covering it from head to toe.

They didn't want anyone else to suffer from Naraku's sinister plot.

They worked diligently, watching in satisfaction as their white dome encircled the entire city, covering it in a comforting blanket of miko energy. Kagome watched it silently, the bright white light trickling down through the air like water droplets on a windowsill.

"Not too much longer now," Kikyou said gently once the city was successfully encased. "If we keep this up for another hour or so the entire city will be rid of the illness."

"I'm glad," Kagome said gently.

"Kagome…" Kikyou said quietly. "After this is all over… I mean… after the city's safe… I was hoping that. I know that… I mean… it's just that it's been so long."

"Do you want to come home, Kikyou?" Kagome asked gently, her blue eyes shining with tiny tears. She nodded her head quickly. "You can come home."

Kikyou's brown eyes softened and she smiled gently. "Thank you."

Her sister suddenly released the tiniest of gasps of pain and released her hold on the cap. It clunked to the roof of the warehouse and she flopped down, writhing in pain.

"Kikyou!" Kagome shouted in alarm when she saw the dagger protruding from her back.

Rin screamed loudly and scrambled away from the man who melted away from the shadows. Naraku stood, his lips drawn back in a sneer.

"I was hoping it was you I'd hit, Kamen," Naraku said wickedly. His once red eyes burned a deep onyx color and he looked less powerful. He was human. The purification Kagome and Kikyou were supplying to the city had caused Naraku's transformation into his human form. Kagome realized in that moment that Naraku was a hanyou.

She whipped her head around towards Rin, who stood cowering.

"Rin, run!" Kagome demanded and the girl complied, rushing to the emergency exit on top of the warehouse. Kagome turned her attention back to Naraku and glared angrily.

"She's not dead if that's what you're thinking," Naraku said quietly, kicking at Kikyou's collapsed body. True to his word, Kikyou's chest moved up and down with her shallow breaths. "No, I'm keeping her alive. I'll make her pay for her disobeying my orders."

"How dare you!" Kagome cried out, standing up. She still grasped the cap in her hand. She couldn't allow the purification to die. The dome around them was already growing weaker without Kikyou's power.

"How dare you steal my psychic _and_ my canon, wench," Naraku snarled. He drew a sword at his side and pointed it towards the taijiya-ninja. "You've been a thorn in my side from the very beginning. But tonight… tonight I will kill you."

Kagome laughed. "I'd like to see you try. You're a human now, just like me." She laughed again, bitterly. "You're a hanyou."

Naraku dove forward in the middle of one of her laughs, causing Kagome to gasp in surprise. She barely dodged the point of the sword. She swallowed thickly and tried to dodge away from the man's harsh attacks.

She rolled aside and kicked out her leg, catching the back of Naraku's knees and knocking the hanyou-turned-human to the ground. He collapsed and Kagome jumped on top of him, drawing her dagger and poising it at his throat.

"I'll slit your throat if you move," she threatened harshly.

Naraku smirked, seemingly unfazed by Kagome's warning.

His sword went flying out and slashed across the side of Kagome's face, catching the strap that held her goggles in place. With that distraction, Kagome released her dagger and groped her face, forcing the broken goggles to her face.

Naraku laughed. "There you go," he whispered and kicked her off with a high kick to the back of her neck. She lunged forward and collapsed onto the roof. "Much better."

He grabbed her hands and forced them behind her back, pulling her muscles into an uncomfortable position. She hissed in pain and attempted to twist herself away from his grasp. Her protective goggles fell to the roof with a clunk.

He pushed her to the ground and grasped her pony-tail. Forcing her face to turn, he stared at her face. If not for Naraku's composure, his jaw would have dropped at the sight of her face.

He slowly pulled her to her feet, his onyx eyes blazing furiously.

Suddenly, he laughed hysterically. "Kagome Higurashi!"

Kagome cowered away from the maniacal way Naraku was looking at her. He launched forward and grasped her neck. He pushed her down to the ground again, harshly forcing her body to comply to his power. She slammed her head against the flat roof of the warehouse. Her head came dangerously close to cracking against the BWATE canon.

"Kagome Higurashi," Naraku repeated, laughter still in his voice. "It was you all along? I should have known. I should have known…"

He laughed. Kagome felt increasingly uneasy with every cackle that escaped Naraku's human lips. He squeezed her neck painfully and she choked.

"So why _did_ precious little Kagome become a taijiya, hm? To avenge her daddy? Wanted to repent for knowing that it was _you_ that the demon possessed in order to kill your precious little daddy?" Kagome bit back tears, not wishing for the dark hanyou to see her pain. She saw truth in Naraku's words and couldn't force herself to shoot back a retort.

"Such a shame your family's dead. You're the only one left to carry on the name. You and your sister. Unfortunately, Rin won't be around much longer." He squeezed her neck. "And neither will you, for that matter."

"Let… go…" Kagome wheezed.

"You've thwarted my plans countless times, Kagome. I won't let you go… I'll kill you right here. You can see your father in hell."

"No!" a third voice shouted out. Naraku's presence was suddenly off of Kagome as a foot slammed into Naraku's cheek. Kagome lifted herself up instantly, blue eyes widening as she saw a very human Inuyasha land painfully on top of Naraku. Blood followed their path and Kagome realized that it belonged to Inuyasha.

The said hanyou-turned-human panted painfully as he punched Naraku repeatedly. The poison in his veins caused a painful jolt to shoot through him every time he moved. But he wouldn't let Naraku hurt Kagome. He'd located them when he'd heard Rin's scream.

Blood pounded in his ears as he threw Naraku down on the ground and continued punching him. Naraku coughed.

"Kagome," he snapped out as he whipped his head around towards the said girl. Kagome jumped, not expecting Inuyasha to address her. His lavender eyes softened. "I'll protect you. Get Rin. You two can recreate the barrier."

"But—"

"Go!" Inuyasha ordered and punched Naraku.

Naraku seemed to have had enough because he grasped Inuyasha's wrist and bent it backwards until he heard a painful snap. Inuyasha gasped in pain as his broken wrist flopped when he dropped his arm.

"So, you managed to make it this far without death, Inuyasha?" Naraku laughed harshly, dodging two punches and a kick. "Unfortunately you'll have to die. And after trying so hard to protect Kagome, too."

"Stop talking," Inuyasha bit out, his violet eyes narrowed in determination and burning with his passion. Their fists collided with one another, sending a resounding crack through the air as their heads whipped to the side.

"Ready to die?" Naraku sneered.

"Are you?" Inuyasha countered, dropping down and sending a high punch into Naraku's solar plexus. Naraku felt the air rush from his lungs and stumble backwards. As he backed away, his heel caught the side of the building's roof. Naraku's eyes widened.

The said man tumbled off the roof and fell into the water. Inuyasha stared down after him before turning back towards Kagome. "Take care."

"No! Wait!" Kagome called out, running towards him. She reached him and touched his cheek. He didn't push her away like she'd expected him to. "I knew you were good."

His eyes softened and he smiled. "Get Rin."

With that, he ran towards the edge of the roof and jumped off, aiming to where Naraku thrashed below. He landed on top of the man and struggled to keep him underwater.

When they resurfaced, a powerful white barrier encased Tokyo again. Outside of the city's barriers, treading the cold water of the harbor, Naraku seethed.

"What do you plan to do now?" Naraku snarled out and forced a sinister smirk on his lips as he stared at the black-haired man next to him. "We'll drown. We can't get into the barrier."

"I'm not planning on drowning," Inuyasha snarled as he pulled the golf ball shaped device from his sash. Naraku stared at it incredulously. "I plan on dying… and I'm taking you with me!"

Naraku's eyes widened and he tried to get away, swinging his arms in an attempt to swim away from the taijiya. Inuyasha overpowered him, wrapping his arm around Naraku's neck. Spending his entire life as a hanyou, Naraku's muscles and powers revolved around his hanyou blood. As a human, he was as week as a young schoolboy. Inuyasha, however, was human for over twenty years of his life. The black-belt could overpower a weak human any time of the day.

He pulled Naraku underneath the water and stared up through the inky darkness to the white light beyond the surface. It seemed so surreal to see that light beyond the surface and know that it was Kagome up there, placing all her trust in him. He clenched his eyes shut.

He would do anything for her. He would do anything for his mother. And now, he would do anything to keep his home safe from Naraku and anyone like him.

He grasped the bomb in one hand and his other arm was still wrapped around Naraku's neck, choking him. He would do anything to protect the ones he cared about.

His eyes captured the unearthly white light beyond and a smile almost crossed his lips. He longed to reach out to that light. But he had something he needed to do.

'_I'm sorry, Kagome,'_ he thought silently.

He clicked the button on the bomb Sango had given him when he'd first joined the taijiya. Under no circumstances, Sango had told him, was he to use it. But curiosity killed the cat. Or the dog, in this case. He had to save the city. He had to save Kagome.

And he was taking Naraku along for the ride.

Kagome and Rin sat on top of the warehouse, pushing energy into the BWATE canon and encasing the world in the purification power.

The warm, white light surrounded the Tokyo area. As she worked, Kagome heard a blast behind her and turned around, watching as a large tidal wave rushed towards them.

Rin screamed again and recoiled, but did not remove her hands. Kagome watched in horror as the water splashed against the barrier but didn't breach it.

"Inuyasha!" she screamed out. He'd been the cause of the explosion, she knew it.

As the water spilled back into the harbor, and Tokyo was protected by Kagome and Rin's energy, Kagome searched the area for Inuyasha's body.

She didn't see it.

Inuyasha was gone.


	20. Chapter 20

**Dark as Day  
Chapter Twenty**

* * *

"_And thanks to the taijiya Tokyo was saved,"_ the news anchorwoman said happily as she stared at the camera. Kagome and her family sat on the couch. The newswoman had spent almost the entire news hour explaining the odd events involving the Ring Leader and the demons.

Kagome smiled. It seemed like they'd finally acknowledged that the taijiya were not the enemies, but the ones trying to save the city all along.

"_With the death of the Ring Leader, Naraku." _The taijiya told the government of the true name of the Ring Leader. It seemed that Sango's father, Hiro, had been working overtime to ensure that all the mess was sorted out. Now, the taijiya were almost regarded as heroes.

Kagome Higurashi was glad that everything was sorted out. It seemed as if a chapter in her life was finally coming to a close. Her life's mission to destroy Naraku was realized, her family now knew about her profession (and her mother was NOT happy to hear about it), the city was safe, her father was avenged, Kikyou was safe and home with her family, and there was a new prime minister.

A week and a half had passed since the incident at the docks and yet her heart still called out for Inuyasha. At the thought of the hanyou, Kagome suppressed a tiny whimper and pulled her knees to her chest. She rested her head on her mother's shoulder.

Beside her, Kikyou sat awkwardly, taking in her surroundings like she'd only seen it for the first time. It took an entire night, it seemed, to explain to her family what had happened over the years with Kikyou, Kagome, her father, and Naraku. Her mother had taken it rather well, actually, despite her disapproval for Kagome's secret profession.

"Is everything okay, Kagome?" her mother asked above her, her voice vibrating through Kagome's body.

Kagome nodded numbly. "Yes…"

She'd been working hard all week at the HQ, helping cure the hybrids Naraku created with Inuyasha's blood. It was very easy to do, actually, just tedious work due to all the kidnapped people subjected to Inuyasha's blood.

The news moved on to describing those still missing from the kidnappings. Kagome's heart clenched when Inuyasha's appearance came onto the television. He was only there for a short moment, however, before the screen moved on to the next picture.

Inuyasha's picture had plenty of face-time over the past few days. After Hiro and the taijiya revealed that it was he who'd finally killed Naraku, he was portrayed as a national hero—maybe even international. With the fall of the central hub of demon activity, it seemed as if the entire world was mimicking the dramatic climax in Tokyo. Throughout the entire world, demon activity had dropped dramatically. With the fall of the head of the organization, it seemed that the other branches of the league of demons were falling apart at the seams.

Needless to say, Inuyasha was quickly becoming an idol. His story was covered thickly by all news stations and yet, he still hadn't been found. Already it seemed that Japan was springing into a nationwide manhunt.

Kagome held onto the hope that Inuyasha was still alive and that the blast had not killed him.

'_He'd been human then, though.'_ The logical part of her brain kicked in and Kagome tried to shoo it away. Her brain was stubborn and continued to disprove all hope in Kagome. _'He was human, dying from blood loss, and who knows what else. He was right there when the blast from the bomb went off. The likelihood that Inuyasha's alive is so, so, soooo very slim.'_

But she didn't want to give up hope. She hadn't before and she wouldn't now.

* * *

"How long until we can go home, Mom?" Souta whined from his corner, kicking his feet out as he worked on his seemingly endless supply of math homework.

"Tokyo is still shut down," Kagome's mother explained gently as she handed a bowl of rice to Rin, who chirped happily when the food came into her possession. "They're still trying to eliminate the smallpox virus. It may be gone from the majority of the humans, but there are still some who are sickened. They have to purify the entire city."

"So why aren't we there? We can purify," Souta said tensely, hating the fact that his priestly powers were being denied.

"Because," Mama clarified soothingly, spooning some rice into a bowl and handing it to her only son. "Kagome's been working hard at… her job… and she needed a vacation. Besides, they're perfectly capable of purifying the city without the help of some unknown family. It's nice out here, anyway."

It was nice. The family had migrated to the Southern part of Japan after the city was evacuated to ensure a healthy Japan.

"Hey, where is Kagome, anyway?" Souta questioned, looking around for his sister.

Kikyou glanced up from her magazine she'd been reading. "She's outside on the beach. She wanted to be alone to think."

Kagome's mother sighed lightly, looking out the window and staring a the retreating figure of her daughter.

"She's still fawning over that boy, too," she said gently, her brown eyes shimmering soundly. "I can't blame her, though. She really liked him and now with all the press coverage about him, it's impossible not to think about him."

Kikyou's eyes turned to Kagome's figure, too. "Yes," she breathed. "He would have done anything to protect her. He was devoted to her."

The concerned mother sighed and crossed her arms, leaning against the kitchen counter, feeling the heat from the rice cooker at her elbow. "It's so hard to find people like that. People who are willing to sacrifice anything. He truly was a hero."

"Yes," Kikyou agreed, sharing a look with her mother and smiling lightly. "He was a kind boy."

The two women watched the miko in the distance, wandering aimlessly down the sandy beach.

In the distance, Kagome walked slowly, enjoying the feel of sand beneath her bare feet. She sighed gently and shoved her hands into the pockets of the light sweatshirt she was wearing over her tank top.

Summer was in the air and she couldn't bring herself to enjoy the end of term. Inuyasha's face still haunted her mind. She knew that she should be happy, and she was, but that didn't mean she wasn't empty.

She was happy for the success of the taijiya and the death of Naraku. The future was looking bright and the downfall of the league of demons seemed evident. Soon, she prayed, the world would be in peace and the senseless war could finally come to an end.

Her blue eyes swept the horizon, watching puffy white clouds float across the sky in a lazy arch. She blinked slowly, and felt as if she were suspended in the air.

She sighed. "I wish I could see you."

Kagome was proud of Inuyasha. He'd killed Naraku and saved the city. He was a hero in the eyes of millions of humans, and thousands of demons, but she longed to see him again. She never got a chance to thank him or do _anything_ before he'd jumped off the roof after Naraku. He'd sacrificed so much and all she'd been able to do was watch him helplessly, like a weak woman. She wished she could have helped him.

'_Kagome,'_ she scolded, _'you were responsible for protecting and purifying the city, along with your sisters. You were not weak or helpless. You're a hero, too. Just unsung.'_

And Kagome was perfectly fine with that. She hadn't gone into the demon hunters simply for the glory and honor. No, she'd joined in order to protect the people she loved and to avenge her father. She was an avenger and her duty was complete.

She sat down in the sand, content with watching the water lap at the shore of the beach, pushing seashells and empty crab shells with the current. She tucked her feet beneath her and baked under the sun, feeling the warmth against her cheeks but not truly registering it.

She felt the beginnings of a smile despite herself. She couldn't help but enjoy herself on the beach, on a vacation away from the hectic city that had caused so much grief and destruction for her over the years. She inhaled deeply and held the delicious sea air in her lungs.

She stood and continued walking down the beach. She liked to keep moving. If she kept herself busy than she couldn't be distracted by her saddening thoughts. She sighed again and crossed her arms over her chest.

The wind blew and brushed against her face, batting her black hair away from her pale face and bright blue eyes. She licked her dry lips and continued walking, kicking up sand as she went.

As she rounded a natural bend in the beach, she came across what seemed like a thousand miles of seaweed. She wrinkled her nose in distaste as a disgusting scent assaulted her nose. She waved her hand in front of her face.

"Ew, cooked sea creatures," she muttered to herself, toeing the moldy green seaweed with a look of revulsion on her features.

She moved her way through the seaweed, her bare feet stepping painfully on dead sea creatures and slimy seaweed. There was nothing exciting about this portion of the beach, save for the mystery of not knowing what was beyond.

As she turned a corner again, she saw piles of driftwood. Smiling, Kagome continued forward. She jumped along the bleached, flat food, inspecting every dip and curve carefully and mindful of the loose planks of driftwood. She avoided every rusty nail and each protruding knot like an expert.

As she jumped over a large dam of wood, Kagome saw what appeared to be a fort. She smiled despite herself. Children playing on the beach were notorious for building forts out of anything. It seemed to be no exception.

She trotted towards it, expecting to explore the large, make-shift fortress. She was about to dip inside when she realized that there was something inside.

At first she shrugged it off as an animal, ignoring the thumping of her heart and the pound of adrenaline shaking her body. She was surprised to realize she was no longer the only thing on the beach. She was used to the serene abandonment of the seaside.

Despite her logic urging her away from the shifting bump underneath the shadows of the driftwood, Kagome inched towards it, curiosity ruling her decision in the end.

"You better not be a bear," she warned the lump.

She knelt and climbed inside the fortress cautiously. Inside, there was a lump hidden behind a log and covered by a thick layer of sand and seaweed.

Kagome inched toward it and recognized the human shape of it. Perhaps a cast away?

The taijiya found that intriguing and slightly exciting. She reached out her hand and dusted off the sand from the bottom half of the person. Her heart stilled once she saw a large red sash, swaying in the light sea breeze that managed to breach the sanctuary.

With shaking hands, Kagome pulled away the seaweed, allowing hope to seize her. Once the water plant was removed from the creature, Kagome gasped loudly. She blinked a couple of times and shook her head, as if expecting it all to be a dream.

"Inuyasha?" she asked, feeling as if she'd just been dumped into some crazy sitcom unfit for primetime television. She leaned over and stuck her ear near his partially opened mouth. He was breathing. "Inuyasha!"

The said boy stirred and his eyes fluttered. His silver hair was no longer the deep ebony she'd seen him last as. The purification energy wore off ages ago, Kagome reasoned, as she gazed down at the golden-eyed boy.

He slowly opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times. He glanced up at her, taking in her appearance—a black-haired beauty with bright blue eyes framed by the bright sunlight above.

"Kagome…?" he murmured softly, his golden eyes sweeping her features. She nodded briskly, fighting back the tears she knew would fall sooner or later.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He blinked and stared at her, barely comprehending her presence.

Kagome laughed, in spite of herself and flung herself onto his bare chest. Timidly, she felt his arms encircle her and hold her close. With her head cushioned on his chest, Kagome could feel his pounding heart.

"You're alive," Kagome said happily.

"I am…" Inuyasha said slowly.

"But how?" Kagome demanded, pulling away and looking at him earnestly. "I saw the wave that the blast from the bomb you used made. There was no way you could have survived that! What happened? How?"

He stared at her, as if not comprehending what she was saying to him. She blinked, her blue eyes sparkling as she gazed at him. She'd never given up hope that he was alive—and the happiness she felt for having found him here, of all places, nearly overwhelmed her.

She wrapped herself tightly around him, resting her head against his shoulder. She contented herself with listening to his breathing and his steady heartbeat. Slowly she became aware that his hands were running along her back, committing each dip and curve to his memory.

Inuyasha screwed his face together in thought. "I must have…"

Kagome leaned in closely, eager to hear his explanation. Inuyasha licked his dry lips and sat up. The remaining shreds of his uniform tumbled into his lap.

His ratted silver hair stuck up in odd directions and stray pierces of sea debris littered his hair like an art mosaic. His body's cuts and scrapes were cured and covered up. There was no scar marring his body save for the smallpox vaccine scar, which was beginning to fade away. Save for the large clumps of his skin burned to a bright red and blistering, he looked completely untouched.

His face dawned with realization.

"Naraku took the blast. I…" he trailed off, looking ashamed. "I didn't mean to. I… used him as a shield."

Kagome stared at him and he looked down.

"I pushed the bomb towards him and quickly swam away, using the other side of Naraku's body as a shield. I scrunched up into a ball." He paused, trying to recall the memory that seemed so many years away now. "And I braced myself for the blast."

His body was burned. She could see the painful red marks littering his body.

"How did you get down here?" Kagome asked, amazed. He'd survived, but that hadn't explained how he'd migrated from Tokyo towards the southern part of Japan.

"The currents, I guess. The blast blew me in the opposite direction and I lost conscious. It's a miracle that I didn't drown, I guess. I must have been caught by the currents… I have no idea."

"You're… you're the luckiest man alive!" Kagome wept out and threw herself against him, crying into his shoulder. "I was so sure that you were dead!"

"Lucky…" Inuyasha marveled, his golden eyes wide.

Perhaps his luck had changed.

"So, you've been staying here this entire time?" Kagome asked in wonderment, staring at him and blinking slowly. Her lips curved into a smile.

"Well," Inuyasha scratched his head. "I only came to a couple days ago. I was in that huge bank of seaweed… and I found this place." He motioned to the small fort they were sitting in. "And I've been staying here, eating that gross seaweed all day."

"Kagome… I need to tell you." Inuyasha pulled her away and bashfully wiped her tears away with his free hand. "I didn't willingly go to Naraku. You have to believe me. I was blackmailed. He would have killed you and my mom if I hadn't gone with him. I had to protect you."

Kagome smiled serenely, her blue eyes reflecting the sunlight high above. "I know."

"You… knew?" Inuyasha asked in amazement.

Kagome nodded. "That night that you turned human. I knew that you couldn't be evil. You were in a delirium… and I knew you were speaking the truth. And," she said gently, "you didn't kill my family. And you took care of Rin."

"Not very well," Inuyasha admitted sheepishly.

"Everything is fine now, Inuyasha," Kagome reassured him, gently touching his arm. "Naraku is dead, Rin is safe, your mother is safe and secure in a hospital within the city, being treated for smallpox and improper blood transfusion, and you're alive."

Inuyasha nodded softly and gave her a tiny smile. "Everything is fine."

She cradled his cheek with her hand, bending towards him and brushing her lips over his. His eyes widened before falling shut. His hand snaked around her head, pulling her close and grazing over her mouth subtly, searching for the permission to continue.

Pulling away, Inuyasha blushed slightly and stared down at his lap. "What do I do now?"

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked quietly.

"Kagome, did you know my father was alive?" Inuyasha stared at her. He chose to ask his own question instead of answer hers. Kagome blinked. "Kagome?"

"Your father?" she asked in alarm. "No… I didn't…"

Inuyasha and Kagome spent the rest of the afternoon explaining what happened from their separation until that moment, supplying one another with necessary facts and trivial details. The sun was setting in the west once their stories came to an end.

"What do I do now?" Inuyasha asked again. Kagome watched the way the dying sunlight reflected off his beautifully silver hair. "They all know that I'm a taijiya now. It's only a matter of time before they find out I'm a hanyou, too, I'm sure."

Kagome frowned thoughtfully. "I'm sure it won't matter… after all, you're a hero. Everyone knows that you're the one that killed Naraku. Hiro and Sango made sure of that."

He stared at her, shock written clearly on his face. The idea of he ever becoming a hero was almost humorous in a way, in his eyes. He'd gone through life always just passing by, living in his mediocrity and never once exceeding beyond his expectations.

He'd passed through life like a shadow—never expecting to be noticed and never truly wanting to. And now, he was a hero.

"A… hero?" he marveled, his golden eyes watching the horizon as if it held all of life's answers. "Me?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if they gave you a national holiday," Kagome murmured, watching his reaction. "You're a hero to millions, Inuyasha."

"I never…" he laughed, almost hysterically. He paused and shook his head. "I never…"

"Everyone at the taijiya made sure you got the recognition you deserved. Sango and Hiro made sure," she repeated.

"Sango…" Inuyasha murmured, his eyes worried. "Does she hate me for attacking her?"

Kagome shook her head. "She understands now and doesn't hold anything against you. She's impressed that you managed to save me and kill Naraku. Though," she leaned in and whispered, "I think she'll be mad at your for using the unusable bomb."

"I think it's stupid that they give us something we're not supposed to use. That's the ultimate Pandora's Box, ya know," Inuyasha said with a snort.

"Yeah," Kagome agreed.

They sat in silence.

"So," Kagome said after a long moment. "Do you think you'll stick around?"

Inuyasha flopped down into the sand and watched as the stars peppered the night sky. He smiled lightly, taking in his surroundings like a new-born.

"Well," he said finally, closing his eyes. "Maybe I'll stay… for a while at least."

"I don't have a hold on you anymore," Kagome said gently, indicating the rosary Kikyou snipped off when Inuyasha was in Naraku's control.

Inuyasha stared at her for a long moment, his golden eyes unreadable. "Maybe."

Kagome inched closer to him, finding comfort in his warm presence.

"I learned something from all this shit," Inuyasha said after they'd basked in the silence of the night, watching stars dot the sky and the moon rise in its unearthly glow. It was waxing. Inuyasha wouldn't turn human for a long time.

"And what did you learn?" Kagome questioned, never breaking her gaze from the constellations dancing in the sky.

"Everyone's a shade of grey," he said and frowned. "As much as I hate that saying. No one is strictly one color."

"How very deep of you," Kagome said with a tiny smile.

"Keh," he snorted and turned his nose upwards. His eyes softened as he thought of his father. "It's just that… not everyone is strictly good and no one is strictly evil. We all have things that make us good but we also have things that make us selfish and greedy."

"Once again, how very deep of you," Kagome murmured, her eyes falling shut.

"I always thought that everything was strictly black and white."

"People only see things in one color because they're uneducated or blind to the truth. In this age of war, people often turn blindly to the things they're comfortable with. We trust the things we understand and fear the things that are mysterious to us. We don't want to think that the enemy has dimensions and different layers. We just want to see them as evil."

"Hm," Inuyasha agreed.

"That's the problem with war and leadership. People are so much happier believing what they're told. They don't want to have to think for themselves because then they might start questioning and growing confused. Especially if they find something that they don't like or understand. We all feel secure when we can rely on others, even if they're corrupted."

"Kagome…?" Inuyasha interrupted her. The girl stopped mid-thought and turned to him, confused. "Stop talking."

And with that, Inuyasha leaned in and captured Kagome's lips with his own, effectively silencing her. Kagome melted into his hold, feeling all the air rush out of her lungs and her words fly far, far away from her. Kagome didn't mind much, though.

Oh no, she didn't mind at all.

There were many evils in this world, and perhaps they were misunderstood evils, but in that moment, Kagome felt that everything the world was good and wonderful.

Lying against Inuyasha, she found herself lying against the ultimate shade of grey and enjoying it.

In the end, her entire world was grey. But grey wasn't an ugly color.

To her, it was the most beautiful color in the world.

* * *

The End 


End file.
